Countdown to Kickoff… Eric Weems Days Until Chicago Bears Season Opener

Dec. 23, 2012; Glendale, AZ, USA: Chicago Bears wide receiver Eric Weems (14) against the Arizona Cardinals at University of Phoenix Stadium. The Bears defeated the Cardinals 28-13. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

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.

Two weeks from today, we’ll be watching regular season Chicago Bears football!  Let’s meet #14 of your Chicago Bears, Eric Weems.

The Bears brought Eric Weems in last season primarily as a special teams contributor and that’s where he saw most of his action.  His role on offense was negligible, with only 2 catches for 27 yards.  Weems excelled on special teams, recording 8 tackles and recovering a couple of fumbles.

The big question facing Bears coaches is how many specialists they can carry on the roster.  The Bears have already committed to keeping Devin Hester purely as a specialist to go along with Robbie Gould, Adam Podlesh and Patrick Mannelly.  In addition, Blake Costanzo is slated as a backup linebacker and special teams ace.

To further complicate matters, undrafted rookie Michael Ford had a kickoff return for a touchdown and appears to be edging out Armando Allen as the third running back.  7th round wide receiver Marquess Wilson and last season’s surprise wide receiver Joe Anderson look to be favorites to nab the 4th and 5 receiver spots.  If the Bears only keep 5 wide receivers, that puts Weems on thin ice.

Since Weems doesn’t figure in to the offensive plans and his value in the return game is diminished, he could be on the outside looking in for a roster spot.   It will come down to a numbers game for Weems, who should land on his feet somewhere in 2013.

The most notable #14 in Bears history has to be quarterback Bobby Douglas, who was one of the pioneers of a running quarterback in the modern era.

We’re just 14 days away.  Are you ready???

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