The first week of Chicago Bears training camp has come and gone. Two padded practices are in the books and with it plenty of impressions are being made. Some good and some not so good. Keeping that in mind it might be a good time for the first camp stock report. This will cover certain names scattered across the roster. Some of them could be on the rise while others may be seeing their tenure with the team winding down.
Nothing is set in stone after just one week. That being said a strong start is often crucial to any season for an individual player. Time has proven that much. Here are three names who are rising and three who are falling so far down at Bourbannais.
Rising: Prince Amukamara (CB)
Bears fans were upset back in March when they watched all the top rated cornerbacks spurn Chicago in favor of signing with other teams. So when Prince Amukamara was signed, it was viewed as nothing more than a consolation prize. The former first round pick had some good seasons in the past but he wasn’t exactly known for productive coverage.
7. Prince Amukamara is the #Bears top CB. Biggest difference I see in him- Aggressiveness & him making plays on the ball. Could breakout.
— Aaron Leming (@AaronLemingNFL) July 30, 2017
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That said the man himself took in stride, stating he felt it would be a good marriage due to his excitement playing for Vic Fangio. Several people close to the corner said the defensive coordinator had a system that would fit his skills perfectly. A few practices into training camp and it’s hard to argue. Amukamara has been the steadiest man in coverage with a number of plays made on the ball. It certainly looks good early.
Falling: Jeremy Langford (RB)
The running back competition is among the thickest on the Bears roster. There are five notable players who could conceivably make the final roster. Considering the team is likely to carry three at most, it makes camp performance vital. That’s why fans of Jeremy Langford can’t be feeling too good at the moment.
Even before practices really got going, Langford sprained his ankle. It’s the same one he had surgically repaired last season. It seems tragic that this injury first robbed him of the starting job. Jordan Howard took over after he bowed out. Now it may cost him his roster spot. It’s made worse by the fact that others like Tarik Cohen and Ka’Deem Carey perform well in his absence.
Rising: Tanner Gentry (WR)
With Alshon Jeffery gone, it’s more important than ever the Bears get their wide receiving corps in line. That means retaining the absolute best 5-6 players possible. This means the competition is wide open. Whomever shows they can make plays consistently will get prime consideration. It’s the perfect situation for the unexpected to happen.
Trubisky floats it up to Tanner Gentry for a nice snag pic.twitter.com/hKoQ1C7NOu
— Lorin Cox (@CoxSports1) July 30, 2017
Enter Tanner Gentry. The undrafted free agent from Wyoming has really taken practices by storm through the first few days. He has a clear connection with top draft pick Mitch Trubisky and it’s yielding dividends. Gentry has made a number of notable plays like the one shown above. He’s consistent in his approach, a decent athlete and sports good hands. If this keeps up the Bears may have no choice but to give him a roster spot.
Falling: Pernell McPhee (OLB)
For a short period of time there was no doubt what Pernell McPhee could be. His raw power and attitude made him a highly effective pass rusher. Then he injured his knee. So began a vicious circle the outside linebacker can’t escape from. Return from injury, play well for a time and then go down again. It’s almost heartbreaking to watch.
After finally getting his previously bad knee right, word came out that there were “irregularities” in the opposite one. This necessitated arthroscopic surgery to clean it out. This got him placed on the PUP list. People are no longer certain about his future, not only for this season but with the Bears in general. Teams don’t tend to keep expensive players who can’t stay on the field.
Rising: Adam Shaheen (TE)
Anytime a player comes from a Division II school, fans are preconditioned to cringe a little bit. D-II athletes just aren’t at the same level as those of the big schools. It’s a fact. Except no it isn’t. There are plenty of cases throughout NFL history where small school players emerge to become big game performers. Adam Shaheen could be the next case and point.
Adam Shaheen's ready to contribute in the passing game. Very sticky hands to go along with frame and catching radius. Works well in traffic.
— dan durkin (@djdurkin) July 29, 2017
The giant 6’6″ tight end came in with the nickname “Baby Gronk.” His mixture of size, speed and strong hands gave him a remarkable likeness to Patriots All-Pro tight end Rob Gronkowski. His rampage through early practices certainly backs that up. Granted there is still plenty for him to improve on, but it seems the Bears may have found themselves another offensive weapon.
Falling: Pat O’Donnell (P)
The era of “Megapunt” could be called a megaflop at this point. Fans have waited patiently for punter Pat O’Donnell to flip the switch and become one of the best in football. He certainly has the talent to do so. Problem is people forget this was a draft pick of former GM Phil Emery. So the odds of that happening were never great.
Word out of camp is there are no signs O’Donnell has improved since last year when he finished in the bottom half of the league in almost every category. He remains inconsistent on his hangtime and struggles to kick in windy conditions. If nothing else this is an indictment on the Bears for not bringing in stiffer competition this offseason.
