Countdown to Kickoff… Isaiah Frey Days Until Chicago Bears Season Opener
We decided to do a countdown to the Chicago Bears season opener on September 8th versus the Cincinnati Bengals. Thanks to one of our Twitter followers, we decided to combine the countdown with a roster preview of sorts.
Isn’t it ironic that the day after Kelvin Hayden is lost for the season, we’re Isaiah Frey days from the start of the Bears season? Frey is the proverbial “next man up” and will be counted on heavily to step in to become the main nickelback. The good news is that Frey has been having an outstanding camp and has really drawn praise for the coaching staff and the beat writers.
The Bears selected Frey in the sixth round of the 2012 draft out of Nevada. Both he and 7th rounder Gregg McCoy were lumped together as the “late round corners” that Phil Emery selected last season. McCoy didn’t make it with the Bears and after a season on the Cardinals practice squad, he’s on the Vikings competing for a roster spot. Frey is competing for a key role with the Bears.
Frey spend the 2012 season on the practice squad and it looks like a year learning behind the veterans has paid off. He’s been a standout in practices, nabbing quite a few interceptions. We’ll see how that translates to real action when the Bears take on the Panthers on Friday night. Frey has put himself in a good position with a strong camp, but it’s what he does in the games that will secure a roster spot.
Other notable 31’s in recent Bears history include Brandon Meriweather, who never saw a cheap shot he didn’t like, Nathan Vasher, who started hot and fizzled out quickly and the horribly awful running back Rashaan Salaam. Never trust a guy with that many A’s in his name.
Salaam was selected with the 21st selection of the 1995 draft. The former Heisman Trophy winner had a decent rookie season, rushing for over 1000 yards and 10 TD’s, but over his next two seasons with the Bears, injuries, fumbles and pot use (not necessarily in that order) limited his effectiveness. He kicked around the league for a few more years, but didn’t put together half the stats of his rookie season combined.
We’re 31 days away. Are you ready???
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