Chicago Bears: If the wide receiver and tight corps were an NBA starting lineup
Many believe the Chicago Bears wide receiver group is a strength, but combined with the tight ends, how would they look like an NBA starting lineup?
In a recent podcast called “Talkin Football“, the hosts discussed how it is important for a football team’s wide receiver and tight corps to emulate that of an NBA starting lineup. I know what you might be thinking, but it makes sense if you think about it. Do the Chicago Bears have an “NBA lineup” within their receiving groups?
In today’s NFL, the passing game is more important than ever. Last season, the Baltimore Ravens attempted the least amount of passing attempts at 440. The Ravens were also the team to attempt the most rushes at 596, but they are an anomaly. The team with the second-most rushing attempts were San Francisco 49ers with only 498. That’s nearly 100 less than the Ravens. The Dolphins had the least amount of rushing attempts at 349.
When we compare the Ravens’ passing attempts (440) to the amount of rushing attempts last season, the team with the lowest amount of passing attempts would rank 11th in rushing attempts. Clearly the passing game has taken over the NFL.
In order to succeed though, teams need variance when it comes to the different skill sets their wide receivers and tight ends bring to the field. If all the receiving options had the same skill set, it would be fairly easy to defend. When you think of an NBA lineup, you have a point guard, shooting guard, small forward, power forward and center. Even though some guys overlap, the skill set required to be a point guard is very different than a center. The physical traits are different too.
When we look at a wide receiver and tight end group, these players need to have different skills as well. The question is though, who on the Bears roster falls in line with each NBA position?
Tarik Cohen – Point Guard
When you think of a point guard, you think of the guy who facilitates the ball. A player who is athletic and makes the necessary cuts to the basket when needed, but also is not always the guy who scores the most points. Point guards are usually the shortest of the groups and have good speed too. This is why I went with Tarik Cohen here. I know he’s technically a running back, but is he?
Allen Robinson – Shooting Guard
Can we take a look back at the Chicago Bulls’ greatest era for a minute? Remember a guy by the name of Michael Jordan? Do you know what position he played? It was not point guard. No, he was a shooting guard. When I think of a shooting guard, I think of scoring. I think of guys like Jordan and James Harden. Allen Robinson is the leader of the Chicago Bears receiving corps and he is the most consistent guy to catch touchdown passes on the team.
Anthony Miller – Small Forward
I was debating on having Anthony Miller and Robinson switched since small forwards are typically taller. The thing is, I just could not do it. Most small forwards have similar skill sets to a shooting guard except small forwards usually handle the ball more. Again, this would point to Robinson over Miller. Miller might not see the same amount of targets as Robinson, but he can be lethal with the ball when necessary, whereas Robinson is the lead target and scoring option.
Cole Kmet – Power Forward
Just like Robinson and Miller, I originally had Kmet at center, but switching him to power forward made sense for one reason. Power forward is more of a bruiser. He is a guy who gets his hands dirty and when I think of the Y tight end versus the U tight end, the Y tight end seems more like a power forward to me. This tight end lines up close to the line of scrimmage and bangs heads while blocking. With Kmet playing the Y tight end this season, he makes more sense at this position.
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Jimmy Graham – Center
Graham stands 6’7″ and weighs in at 265lbs. He is what many would consider a “big man” in the NFL. Graham has a background in basketball. Although the center position needs to bang heads too, scoring from a close range is important. For Jimmy Graham to be a success for the Chicago Bears, he will need to be successful in the red zone.
What do you think? How would you slot the current roster into an NBA starting lineup?