Projected Roles & Stats for Bears Rookies (Part 2)
Undrafted Free Agents
Overall Grade: B
TE Ben Braunecker, Harvard – Surprisingly athletic for an Ivy League prospect, Braunecker finished in the top five among tight ends in all seven combine events he participated in. His combine numbers were so similar to what Rob Gronkowski posted at his pro day, that Braunecker has been nicknamed “Bronk”.
He’s a late bloomer, who came out of nowhere to post a 48 / 850 / 8 line as a senior. Braunecker was a willing and effective blocker in college, but will have to adjust to much better defensive ends at the NFL level. He has legit NFL athleticism and receiving skills and the potential to become a well-rounded tight end.
I had Braunecker graded as a 5th round prospect and the Bears got good value nabbing him after the draft. It may take a season or two before Braunecker is ready to contribute for the Bears, but they are so thin at tight end that an injury may force him into the lineup in 2016.
Projected Role: Practice squad for first half of the season, then 3rd string tight end in second half.
Projected Stats: 60 offensive snaps, 4 catches, 42 yards
CB Taveze Calhoun, Mississippi St – Another high-character signing for the Bears, Calhoun was a finalist for the academic heisman and gets rave reviews from his coaching staff. On the field Calhoun was a three-year starter in the SEC who has ideal length and plays with as much on-field smarts as he has off it.
Despite less than ideal athleticism, Calhoun was a very successful corner in the SEC. He allowed just 22 catches last season and led all draft-eligible SEC corners in passer rating against, holding opposing QBs to a rating of just 40. In his three years as a starter he had 154 total tackles, 12 TFLs, 6 INTs, 21 PDs, and 3 forced fumbles.
Calhoun has good length (6’0), is strong against the run, battle-tested in the SEC, and is a good fit for the Bears zone heavy scheme. With the Bears lack of depth in the secondary, I could see Calhoun seeing more snaps than any other UDFA.
Projected Role: Some time on practice squad and some time as Bears 5th corner.
Projected Stats: 12 tackles, 2 pass breakups
DE/OLB Roy Robertson-Harris, UTEP – The Bears were interested enough to bring Robertson-Harris in for a private workout after he posted a 35″ vertical, 9’11” broad jump, 4.7 40-time, 23 bench reps of 225 pounds, and looked fluid in both pass rush and short coverage drills during his pro day.
Robertson-Harris is a tweener with not enough bulk to be a 5-technique in the Bears scheme and maybe not enough experience or agility to be a stand-up OLB. His college stats aren’t impressive either with just 16 tackles for loss and 6 sacks over the last two seasons.
What Robertson-Harris does have is elite athleticism for his size and ideal length as a pass rusher. He’s a raw athlete with plenty of upside and I trust DC Vic Fangio to find a use for his unique skill-set.
Ultimately I think the Bears will utilize Robertson-Harris as a sub-package pass rusher. He has the size (6’7, 255), strength, and speed to play either DE or OLB, but I think the Bears will spend most of the year developing his considerable talents on the practice squad.
Projected Role: Practice squad for most of the season, potential sub-package weapon late in the season
Projected Stats: 5 tackles, 1 sack, 1 batted pass
CB Kevin Peterson, Oklahoma St – Another team captain and three-year starter in the pass-happy Big 12 conference. Peterson looked like a lock for a spot somewhere in the draft during the first half of the 2015 season, when he allowed only five catches in seven games despite usually matching up against opposing #1 receivers. He held his own against top picks Josh Doctson, Sterling Shepard, and Corey Coleman, but hurt his ankle mid-season and struggled badly in the second half.
Peterson may not have been 100% recovered when he ran a 4.66 40, which probably dropped him out of the draft. He certainly played much faster than that on tape. He also needs to gain weight as he won’t be able to do much against the run at 180 pounds, despite being a willing run stopper.
Peterson has the talent to play corner in the NFL, but needs to get healthy and stronger, which probably means a season on the practice squad. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Peterson compete for a role in the Bears secondary in 2017.
Projected Role: Practice squad
Projected Stats: NA