The Chicago Bears seem to still be looking for possible alternatives at key positions on the roster. Especially wide receiver. Their signing of Isaiah Coulter was a clear indication of this. Most of the position group hasn’t impressed over the past week. In both practice and the preseason. Bad routes, dropped passes, and an inability to get open. This has led to questions about their depth. So if they are indeed seeking help, what about Travis Fulgham?
He was one of the coolest stories of the 2020 season. A former 6th round pick of Detroit, the receiver found his way to Philadelphia. There he was thrust onto the field as injuries ravaged their wide receiver position. What happened next was nothing short of magical. Over the next five games, Fulgham racked up 435 yards and four touchdowns. This included a 152-yard explosion in Pittsburgh. Sadly, his opportunities started to dry up after that.
Now it seems his status on the roster is in question.
Philadelphia spent the offseason overhauling their receiver position. They drafted Devonta Smith in the 1st round and also got back their 1st round pick from 2020 in Jalen Reagor. Along with Quez Watkins starting to emerge, it has eaten into the opportunities for Fulgham who has barely played this preseason. Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports seems to think there is a legitimate chance the 25-year old gets cut.
“Fulgham barely saw the field Thursday night, not even cracking the first team in an anemic first half by an offense comprised of mostly second-team players. Fulgham was on special teams in the fourth quarter of a preseason game, a sign he’s competing for a roster spot. Starting the game on kickoff coverage isn’t a good sign he’s in the plans as a first or second-team receiver either…
…At this point, it wouldn’t be a surprise if Fulgham doesn’t make this roster. Just brace yourself, Eagles fans. “
Were this to happen, the Bears should 100% be interested. Fulgham has already proven he can play at a high level when given a chance. Teams could do a lot worse than him as a #5 or #6 option. Of course, that leaves the question of what they should do with Dazz Newsome and Rodney Adams. Or they could decide to carry seven receivers. There would be a number of options they could explore.
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Travis Fulgham would be a nice fit for this team
Aside from his nice mix of size and strength. While not blazing fast, he has enough speed to keep cornerbacks honest. Most importantly, he has experience in the Bears’ style of offense. Philadelphia ran a variation of it last season under Doug Pederson. He and head coach Matt Nagy are friends and former disciples of Andy Reid. So the receiver wouldn’t be jumping into a situation totally blind.
The truth is nobody at wide receiver has really established themselves. Marquise Goodwin hasn’t played in the preseason. Damiere Byrd failed to do anything of note in his limited snaps. Newsome missed a lot of camp with a broken collarbone. Adams has easily been the biggest performer this month and even he has struggled with dropping too many passes. This is not a situation where anybody outside of Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney should feel safe with their jobs. Travis Fulgham would be a worthwhile venture.
He’s young, he’s hungry, and now he will have a new chip on his shoulder.
This will be one of several names worth watching in the next week or so for the Bears. Wide receiver isn’t the only position they have depth concerns. Offensive tackle and cornerback are two others they need to think carefully about.