Matt Nagy has plenty of procedures he uses as a head coach when managing the Chicago Bears roster. He’ll hold players out a bit longer than normal to ensure they’re 100% healthy. He will rotate players on the bottom of the depth chart to play 1st-team snaps in practice. However, one tactic that became clear last year that was interesting to note was how he handled his starters during the preseason.
For example, Mitch Trubisky hardly played at all. He threw a total of 18 passes across two appearances. During the “dress rehearsal” game where starters sometimes play an entire half, he didn’t play at all. The same went for most of the others on the roster. Nagy made it clear that he valued the health of his players over the idea of getting them a few extra reps in a glorified exhibition.
Based on his own comments lately, that practice will continue this year. None of the starters are expected to appear in the preseason opener against Carolina. While most are focused on the health aspect of this, there may be one other consequence in play. One that brings an unintended benefit to the Bears franchise in their efforts to lure overlooked talents to their roster.
Matt Nagy preseason methods may help lure more talent to Bears
Think about this. If you’re a young player coming out of college and weren’t drafted, this means you get a chance to pick your team. Obviously, the main priority is simple. Find a roster where you have the best chance to stick. However, there is something else worth noting. It’s also important to land on one where you’ll actually get an opportunity to play extensively in the preseason. This can prove doubly beneficial.
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It offers the chance to show your current team you can play. Also, it provided plenty of quality tape for other teams who might be watching those games looking for help. This is where the true value of the preseason comes in. Nagy, by holding out his starters for virtually the entire month, is more reliant than a lot of teams on his second and third-string players. The football itself may not always be pretty, but it actually has proven beneficial to several players.
Javon Wims was a star throughout the 2018 preseason. This landed him a roster spot and he has since begun to turn it into a hard push for playing time in 2019. Deiondre Hall had 15 tackles and showed enough to interest the Philadelphia Eagles for a trade. Bennie Fowler had some nice moments and ended up on the New York Giants roster after leaving Chicago. Daniel Brown earned a nice deal from the New York Jets after catching nine passes for 153 yards in extended action.
The preseason isn’t the primary way the Bears recruit talented players to their roster. Still, Nagy’s generous allocation of playing time to depth players is undoubtedly a lure for those who think they can turn it into a greater opportunity.
