Chicago Bears fans were anxious to see 3rd round pick Zavion Thomas in action last weekend against the Cleveland Browns. It was the perfect opportunity for the rookie wide receiver to show why excitement had been building around him in training camp. Unfortunately, an injury put paid to that. The wait would continue. Thankfully, his absence wasn’t too long. Thomas returned to practice this week, just in time for the highly anticipated joint session with the Cincinnati Bengals on Thursday.
Most of the attention was understandably on the starters. Everyone wanted to see how the Bears offense would measure up against Cincinnati’s restocked defense. At the same time, could the defense hold up against a healthy Joe Burrow and Co.? The answers were a mix of good and bad. Yet hidden amidst the carnage, Thomas put together a strong practice, including two big catches from Caleb Williams. One was for a big first down and the other was for a touchdown. Sean Hammond of the Chicago Tribune had the details.
Zavion Thomas showcased two traits that aren’t talked about.
Rookie wide receiver Zavion Thomas has been back at practice after missing about a week with a knee injury. He made several catches Thursday, including one with Williams and the starters.
During a full-team session, Williams scrambled to his right, pointing for his receivers to find open space. Thomas was about 20 or 25 yards past the line of scrimmage and came back toward the football. Williams saw the rookie and threw a pass near the sideline that Thomas caught for a first down.
Thomas hasn’t gotten a ton of reps with the starters and his injury didn’t help. That was his first catch from Williams in a while, but the third-round draft pick is very much a part of the plan this year.
Later, in the red-zone period, quarterback Case Keenum let a play develop and lofted a pass toward the right side of the end zone. Initially it looked as if no one would be there to catch it, but then Thomas broke free of Ivey’s coverage and made a nice contested catch for a touchdown.
Zavion Thomas is being lost in a wild shuffle.
Based on the results over the past couple of weeks, one thing has become apparent. The Bears are incredibly deep at wide receiver. Rome Odunze and Luther Burden look fantastic. Kalif Raymond has found new life after leaving Detroit. Then you have Jahdae Walker emerging after his promising rookie year. If that weren’t enough, UFL transfer Kaden Davis might be camp MVP and veteran Scotty Miller is looking good as well. For Thomas to still find ways to stand out is more than encouraging.
That joint practice also served as a reminder that the Bears have big plans for him. Getting snaps with the starting offense doesn’t happen unless the coaching staff has ideas in mind. Obviously, they wouldn’t have drafted Zavion Thomas that high unless they felt he could be a big contributor. The only uncertainty is how big that workload will be. Most believe it will be a combination of heavy work in the return game with a handful of snaps on offense, where he’s moved around like a gadget option.
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Could it expand beyond that? Only Zavion Thomas can answer that.
Saturday could be important for him.
Thomas hasn’t played in an actual game yet. The fact that he was practicing in Cincinnati offers a good sign that he’ll make his debut two days from now. It will be a golden opportunity for him to pick up some steam. The Bengals aren’t expected to play any of their starters. That means he’ll be facing backups and camp bodies most of the game. If he is as capable as he’s appeared during the past three weeks, then it’s fair to expect some nice plays through the air or in the return game.
Much of the Bears draft class hasn’t disappointed so far. Dillon Thieneman grabbed an interception in that joint practice just a day after getting one on Caleb Williams. Logan Jones looked capable in his preseason debut, as did Sam Roush and Malik Muhammad. Jordan Van Den Berg, the team’s 6th round pick, had three pressures on defense. Thomas must send his own message.
Don’t forget about him.
