Mike Carter-USA TODAY Sports
Rookies:
I haven’t seen much of their pre-season action, but am basing these picks off my pre-draft scouting and have included their scouting reports below as well as how I see them fitting in on the Bears roster,
LB Denicos Allen, Panthers
Scouting Report: If Allen were a few inches taller (5’10, 220) he would have been a mid-round pick. He’s a heck of a football player; Allen is fast for an LB (4.56), has great instincts, and is a sure tackler. He’s also a violent blitzer and good in coverage. Allen is never going to get any taller, but has a similar skill-set as Wesley Woodyard who has had a solid NFL career as a weak-side linebacker.Allen would make an ideal WLB back-up (instead of Khaseem Greene) and could be a demon on special teams.
Bears: I’ve made it pretty clear how disappointed I am in Khaseem Greene’s preseason performance and Allen is basically the same guy as Greene except that he hasn’t failed yet. They are both converted safeties who are barely big enough to play weak-side OLB, but the difference is that I think Allen has the toughness to make up for his lack of size and I’m not sure Greene does. Greene is a non-factor on special teams (and at LB) and I think Allen could be a force covering kicks and a better OLB.
FS Ed Reynolds, Eagles:
Scouting Report: He lacks the athleticism of the top safeties from the 2013 draft, but Reynolds has great instincts, good technique and better hands than most safeties. Reynolds is a Mike Brown type, a guy who doesn’t measure up physically but always seems to be in the right place at the right time.
Bears – He has better instincts and technique than either Conte or Vereen. Reynolds was a big-time play-maker at Stanford and I think that will carry over to the NFL if he’s given a chance. Of all the safeties I watched pre-draft, Reynolds is the only one that reminded me of Mike Brown.
LB Shane Skov, 49ers:
Scouting Report: Sure tackler who can lay the lumber on opposing running backs and receivers crossing the middle. Skov’s blitzing instincts are so good that he appears to be offsides. His man coverage is a problem, but he has good instincts in zone based schemes. Skov is a better fit in a 3-4 scheme, but could still be a solid 2-down run-stuffing MLB in a 4-3.
Bears: Plays with a ferocity and toughness that the Bears could really use. Skov was an emotional leader on one of the best defenses in college football last year. His non-stop hustle and hard-hitting would be welcome additions to the Bears special teams unit and possibly their defense as well. D.J. Williams won’t be around forever and Bostic may end up being a better fit at strong-side OLB.
SS Craig Loston, Vikings
Scouting Report – Great athlete and a big hitter who is raw technique-wise but has a ton of potential. Loston could be a force against the run from day one, but he needs some work in coverage. He has the size and natural athleticism to be proficient in coverage eventually and has a Pro Bowl ceiling.
Bears – Loston could back up Mundy for now and potentially take over in a year or two. He has the upside to be a hard-hitting, play-making safety.
WR Tevin Reese, Chargers –
Scouting Report – A small man (5’10, 163) but a ridiculous athlete (4.4 speed, 41″ vert). Reese broke his wrist early in week 9 last season, but had 8 TDs in 9 weeks and 7 of them were for 40+ yards(!), the shortest TD of his season was 25 yards. Reese is a big play threat who can also return kicks and punts.
Bears: – He’s Chris Williams, but with an actual track record of success in America. Reese scored 7 touchdowns of 40+ yards in 8 games. That has got to be a record. Reese had a bunch of drops in his last preseason game with the Chargers, which may of had something to do with him getting released, but Reese is basically un-coverable if he can beat the jam at the line. Every time he touches the ball, Reese is a threat to take it to the house and could add some much needed speed to the Bears receiver core while also being a dangerous kick & punt returner.
S Kenny Ladler, Bills
Scouting Report – Instinctive coverage safety who showed a knack for making plays in college with 5 INTs and 5 forced fumbles in his senior year. Ladler is a step or two slow (4.7) but a good football player and can’t be any worse than what the Bears currently have at safety.
Bears – Ladler is slow, but has better football instincts than any of the safeties on the Bears roster other than maybe Mundy. He has more upside than McCray, Conte or even Vereen and could be a potential leader on the defense in a year or two.