87 days until Chicago Bears 2017 season kicks off: Adam Shaheen profile
The Bear Goggles On Countdown to Kickoff series is now underway for the second season in a row. With 87 days to go until the Bears season kicks off, we will highlight the Bears player that is wearing number 87, tight end, Adam Shaheen
2016 Review
Shaheen spent his 2016 at Ashland University in Ohio. Shaheen took a road less traveled to being drafted in 2017 as a basketball player transferring to Division II Ashland to play football. He played three seasons at Ashland. In 2016, he caught 57 passes for 867 yards and a school record 16 touchdowns. Dominating at that level had him sticking out to NFL teams, and the Chicago Bears were the team to jump on Shaheen in the second round.
2017 Outlook
Shaheen will see some playing time, but 2017 should be a lot of learning and behind the scenes work for the raw tight end. Shaheen has basketball-like jumping ability and box out skills, but he is very unfined at the nuances of football. Getting out of his breaks, and making smooth and precise steps is not something he knows how to do. On top of that, he has little to no experience as a blocker. It will be hard to get him on the field being such a blocking liability. However, he has the size and the enthusiasm to be a tremendous blocker.
How long it takes for him to get on the field is up to him, but the team is prepared for a learning season for Shaheen. Zach Miller is often injured but he expects to be in the fold in week one and should be the team’s leading tight end. The Bears also signed Dion Sims, who is a much better blocker than Miller and Shaheen. He will see a lot of in-line work and will help the two tackles on the edge. Unless Miller gets injured, there is no rush to throw Shaheen out there, as he learns how to be effective in the NFL.
Future with the Bears
The sky is the limit. At the NFL combine, Shaheen tested out to be one of the biggest and strongest tight ends in the history of the event. He has that receiving the ability to fall back and given how much he has picked up while playing at Ashland, he can not only become a more refined player but can also be a bigger, stronger and faster threat than he already is. The hope is that the Bears hit on this pick and while we may not see it by 2017, Shaheen should be ready to roll in 2018.