Ryan Poles made his presence known on the waiver wire this week after picking up seven players from waivers in two days. Most importantly, I think Poles may have gotten a steal in wide receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette. Smith-Marsette went to Iowa and was drafted in the fifth round by the Minnesota Vikings in 2021. Smith-Marsette did not make a great impression on the new Vikings regime. General manager, Kwesi Adofo-Mensah waived him before he would be claimed by the Chicago Bears.
The reason why I think Smith-Marsette will make a significant impact on the Bears is because of how great he complements the Bears’ current needs. Going into the season I thought the Bears needed to get more diverse at the wide receiver position because most of the skillsets of their receivers are very similar.
Why Ihmir Smith-Marsette could be a steal for the Chicago Bears
I thought the Chicago Bears needed to add someone who can help out Justin Fields and make an impact with the ball in his hands. As of now, Velus Jones is the only real threat with the ball, outside of Darnell Mooney. Smith-Marsette was a great return man and has a great ability to get yards after the catch. This was a major weakness of the Bears in 2021 as they were one of the worst teams in the league in that category.
Here we see ISM back in college at Iowa making something out of nothing with his large strides and long legs that make him one of the hardest tackles in the league.
What role will Ihmir Smith-Marsette play for the Bears?
I think Smith-Marsette’s size and speed make him the best fit to play the role of a Z-receiver. The Bears can utilize his ridiculous long speed on long developing plays, like play action. Smith-Marsette’s build reminds me a lot of Eqanimous St. Brown who was featured a lot on play action in the preseason and even for the Green Bay Packers last year.
Here, back at Iowa, Smith-Marsette beats his man on a play-action shot downfield and even goes the extra mile to come back to the ball and help out his quarterback.
Ranking Chiacgo Bears 2022 Practice Squad
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Smith-Marsette can also make an impact on kick returns and even punt returns. Here, back in college he ran back this kick vs USC and made everyone around him look like they had concrete in their cleats with his blazing speed.