5 biggest takeaways from Chicago Bears offseason program

4. Tyler Scott is doing a lot for the Chicago Bears

Tyler Scott is doing a lot and it starts with him playing the slot—a nice rhyme to start things off. The fifth-round rookie will be asked to do much more in the NFL than he was in college when he was the number one target last year. This year he is the number four wide receiver, and that may be at best.

So, the Chicago Bears have been asking him to wear many hats to get used to the NFL. Scott played about 97% of his snaps as an outside wide receiver, so the team has thrown him into the deep regarding getting work in the slot.

Because that is the role of Darnell Mooney, and Mooney has missed every practice nursing his injury, the Chicago Bears have given Scott a plethora of first-team snaps in the slot. Many see this as foreshadowing for what will come next year when Mooney hits free agency.

Still, for the time being, being able to step in for someone on the outside or the slot is a massive feather in his cap.

Beyond that, Tyler Scott is being asked to jump in and compete for the starting punt returner job. Velus Jones coughed it up last season, and it went to Dante Pettis. Pettis is back and will demand a roster spot until someone can knock him out of the punt return job. The Chicago Bears realize they need to move on from Pettis sooner than later, so they are giving Scott a chance to earn that role.

The issue is that like playing in the slot, Tyler Scott does not have return ability from college. He returned seven punts but often ceded the way to Tre Tucker, who was drafted before Scott.

One of the reasons Scott fell is because he is fast and small but was not a slot or returnman. The Chicago Bears are not wasting time, and they are throiwng him right into the mix to get used to both. Now, we can track progress from the end of OTAs to the end of the preseason.