Ryan Pace has a mixed reputation as the Chicago Bears GM. There is no question he has his share of mistakes. A number of wasted high draft choices. Some really bad contracts handed out to free agents. All valid criticisms. At the same time, one can safely make the argument that Pace is perhaps the best the franchise has had in almost 40 years when it comes to finding good players other teams overlooked.
Particularly on the undrafted free agent market. This has proven true since the moment he arrived. Bryce Callahan in 2015. Roy Robertson-Harris in 2016. Rashaad Coward in 2017. Sam Mustipher in 2019. It’s a pretty consistent track record. Pace seems to find at least one solid contributor for his team every year or two. People don’t understand how hard that is to do. Why? Namely, because his predecessors going back literal decades routinely failed at it.
That is why there should be considerable intrigue with this 2021 group.
True to form, a couple of them have stood out early in training camp. Most will assume the biggest name is Charles Snowden, the pass rusher out of Virginia. In fairness, he has indeed flashed some of his considerable talents. However, it appears another is endeavoring to get noticed. Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic singled him out in a recent column regarding the Bears’ first padded practice at Soldier Field.
“Another player who will be competing for that, but more likely a practice-squad spot, is undrafted rookie Sam Kamara. No. 78 popped up in my notebook a few times for setting the edge, getting a “sack” in team drills, then winning a one-on-one. Kamara played on the D-line at Stony Brook but is working with the outside linebackers.”
One can be forgiven if Kamara didn’t register with anybody a few months ago. Not only was he coming out of a smaller school at Stony Brook, but he also was a 6’2, 275 lbs defensive tackle. Significantly undersized for the Bears’ style of defense. There was no way he’d survive on their front. So the switch to outside linebacker makes more sense. Especially when you start watching some of his tape.
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Stony Brook DT Sam Kamara has caught my eye. Played in Spring ball this year with FCS. Powerful player who has some violent hands at the point of attack. He'll likely be a PUDFA but I'm interested in his game pic.twitter.com/oVJRWrAXjr
— Zach Hicks (@ZachHicks2) April 23, 2021
Chicago Bears have another quality project with Kamara
One thing about the defensive lineman during his college run? He got into the backfield a lot. In 20 games between 2018 and 2020, Kamara racked up 15 sacks and 18.5 tackles for loss. Things that stood out right away were his burst, his quickness, and his high motor. While some will slam him for his overall size, he’s actually learned to use this to his advantage by getting great pad level to consistently undercut blockers.
By the sound of it, he’s doing a lot of that already in training camp. The hard part will be transitioning to a new position. Going from defensive line to outside linebacker is not easy. They are two entirely different jobs that require a significant body transformation. Kamara will have to shed weight to improve his quickness and fluidity while trying to maintain strength. It sounds simple, right?
Rest assured, it isn’t.
He isn’t going to make the main roster this year. There is too much competition in front of him anyway. This has the look and feel of a classic project player. Somebody the Chicago Bears like they can stash on the practice squad for a year as he gets acquainted with the new position. Then he’ll get a proper opportunity in his second season. That is exactly what they did with Robertson-Harris and it worked beautifully. Keep an ear out for Kamara’s name when the preseason starts.