Barnwell: Ranking the Skill Position Talent

bamainatlanta

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9. Chicago Bears
It's certainly fair to say that no team this offseason has added more weapons for its quarterback than the Bears. Many of general manager Ryan Pace's moves are gambles, both in terms of the contracts involved (which aren't being considered here) and the track records of the players in question (which are). Allen Robinson once made Blake Bortles look like a promising quarterback, but he's coming off of a torn ACL. The player most likely to immediately bounce back from a torn ACL would be a young athlete who suffered the injury early in the previous season, which is exactly the case with Robinson. He is a legitimate No. 1 receiver and likely to serve as one in 2018.

The other new faces have the potential to break out but haven't yet been consistent contributors. Taylor Gabriel was a replacement-level wideout who the Bears passed on as a free agent before a breakout half-season for the Falcons in 2016; the 27-year-old was anonymous for Atlanta last season. Trey Burton was Philadelphia's third tight end and scored an unsustainable five touchdowns on 23 catches last season; now, he'll be playing the Travis Kelce role for new coach Matt Nagy in Chicago. Players such as Kevin White and Adam Shaheen have athletic pedigrees, but if the Bears believed that either player was going to be a star contributor, they wouldn't have signed Robinson and Burton or drafted Anthony Miller in the second round. After Robinson, the Bears' strength at receiver is in their depth, as opposed to individual talents, at least until someone else breaks out.


What pushes the Bears up these rankings, instead, is their one-two punch at halfback. Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen will combine to post a cap hit of about $1.4 million in 2018 and might very well project to be the best pair of running backs in football, if Ingram and Kamara slip. Cohen's versatility seems far more likely to be rewarded by Nagy than it was by departed offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains.

http://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/24045670/ranking-nfl-best-worst-offensive-arsenals-weapons-2018

Keep in mind this doesn't take the QB into account.
 

Tostada

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The Bear's are not that good and NE is way overrated. Philly should be #1. Imagine if Philly would have drafted Cohen like they wanted.
 

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The Bear's are not that good and NE is way overrated. Philly should be #1. Imagine if Philly would have drafted Cohen like they wanted.

Where did you see the eagles wanted cohen?
 

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What's great about this list is that the Bears are rated ahead of both the Packers and Lions in the North. As has been said since the end of last season 2018 is all about Mitch. Pace got him the coach and the talent now is the time for him to prove why he was such a high draft pick.
 

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What's great about this list is that the Bears are rated ahead of both the Packers and Lions in the North. As has been said since the end of last season 2018 is all about Mitch. Pace got him the coach and the talent now is the time for him to prove why he was such a high draft pick.

thats not really saying much

pack has made a dirty habit of using Rodgers's elite skills to mask shit position players. Keeps them from the super bowl, but still it has been enough to whoop the shit out the baers year in and out.

And the lions are the lions.
 

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The fuck?

"Players such as Kevin White and Adam Shaheen have athletic pedigrees, but if the Bears believed that either player was going to be a star contributor, they wouldn't have signed Robinson and Burton or drafted Anthony Miller in the second round."

Is Barnwell hanging out with Moon Mullin for happy hour?
 

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Sounds about right.

With top 10 skill position talent and an QB-friendly offensive game plan, the pieces are in place for Trubisky to succeed.

I see what you’re saying, and I disagree. If this offense falters, I don’t think you can automatically assume that all the fault lies with Trubisky. Robinson is coming off an ACL last year and a below average prior season. Gabriel is a career role player. Burton got barely any playing time. Nagy is a rookie coach. These are not proven commodities.
 

botfly10

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The fuck?

"Players such as Kevin White and Adam Shaheen have athletic pedigrees, but if the Bears believed that either player was going to be a star contributor, they wouldn't have signed Robinson and Burton or drafted Anthony Miller in the second round."

Is Barnwell hanging out with Moon Mullin for happy hour?

not sure why he included Shaheen there, but he is dead on when it comes to White.
 

botfly10

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I see what you’re saying, and I disagree. If this offense falters, I don’t think you can automatically assume that all the fault lies with Trubisky. Robinson is coming off an ACL last year and a below average prior season. Gabriel is a career role player. Burton got barely any playing time. Nagy is a rookie coach. These are not proven commodities.

Lots of gambling happening on the O side.

If it was betting in vegas with my own money, I can see Howard, Cohen, and even Robinson as good bets.

As far as the rest - Shaheen, Gabriel, Burton, Miller, Nagy as a playcaller... I like them as a fan and am excited, but I wouldn't put money on them.

Lots of dice rolls going on this year. The space between the potential floor and the potential ceiling for this offense is pretty absurd imo. If everything goes right, could be real fucking good, if guys start faltering, could be real fucking bad. Some extreme levels of uncertainty going in this year.
 

bears51/40

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thats not really saying much

pack has made a dirty habit of using Rodgers's elite skills to mask shit position players. Keeps them from the super bowl, but still it has been enough to whoop the shit out the baers year in and out.

And the lions are the lions.
That's why it is up to Trubisky to make that second year leap to go along with superior skill positions to level the field against Rodgers and the Pack.
 

TexasBearfan

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i'm in a keeper league FFL....I have Trubisky, Mahomes, Cohen, Shaheen and Jordan Howard....yes I'm a homer but I make the playoffs every year
 

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thats not really saying much

pack has made a dirty habit of using Rodgers's elite skills to mask shit position players. Keeps them from the super bowl, but still it has been enough to whoop the shit out the baers year in and out.

And the lions are the lions.

Really? Ncogneto has been touting the Lions have a top 5 receiving group. Couple that with draft pick Kerryon Johnson they are poised for a deep playoff run.
 

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I see what you’re saying, and I disagree. If this offense falters, I don’t think you can automatically assume that all the fault lies with Trubisky. Robinson is coming off an ACL last year and a below average prior season. Gabriel is a career role player. Burton got barely any playing time. Nagy is a rookie coach. These are not proven commodities.

A rookie head coach, so we will find out about his clock management skills, his replay judgement, and his people skills. There is no way he is not an upgrade over Fox on all three. He is not a rookie offensive coordinator, which is why he is here. the design of the offense and play calling will not be a problem.

Robinson will be fine, Anthony Miller will be very good, and the RB's will be great.

(standard NFL disclaimer) Barring injuries the 2018 season is all about dear sweet Mitchell, I'm not saying he needs to make the playoffs, but he needs to play well, much better than last season. 2017 all the excuses were in place, no weapons, no game plan, and that was true. 2018 weapons and a game plan are in place, no excuses.
 

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not sure why he included Shaheen there, but he is dead on when it comes to White.

?

So you're saying that if the team had faith in Kevin White we wouldn't have gone after Robinson in FA or Miller in the draft? Because that is what Barnwell is literally saying. IDK how anyone can walk away having seen last season's WR corpse and came out with that conclusion.
 

botfly10

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?

So you're saying that if the team had faith in Kevin White we wouldn't have gone after Robinson in FA or Miller in the draft? Because that is what Barnwell is literally saying. IDK how anyone can walk away having seen last season's WR corpse and came out with that conclusion.

Yeah I am. Having faith in White means depending on him as a starter going forward. Indefinitely. I am not saying there would have been no investment in the position like you imply. Just less investment.

Are you actually arguing that you believe the bears have faith in White? That their plans involve depending on him to contribute throughout the year? Because he has been pretty much an afterthought to coaches the entire offseason. Shit, they didn't even pick up his 5th year. Definitely evidence of faith in the guy.
 

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Yeah I am. Having faith in White means depending on him as a starter going forward. Indefinitely. I am not saying there would have been no investment in the position like you imply. Just less investment.

Are you actually arguing that you believe the bears have faith in White? That their plans involve depending on him to contribute throughout the year? Because he has been pretty much an afterthought to coaches the entire offseason. Shit, they didn't even pick up his 5th year. Definitely evidence of faith in the guy.

No, I am in fact implying that regardless of what White represented for the team that we were going to end up bringing in several offensive players. We lost Alshon, Cam and Zach. There was no scenario at all in which we weren't going to have to at least get a couple of receivers and a tight end.
 

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