Bears Finally Satisfied with Their Specialists
In 1972, the Bears drafted a Penn State tight end in the fifth round named Bob Parsons.
Today, a player like Bob Parsons would be a dream for every general manager and coach, especially at roster cutdown time. That's because Parsons also became the team's punter. He didn't play tight end for long, but when he did they freed up a roster spot for another player because they didn't need to carry a punter.
Considering the age of specialization within the sport, there are niche positions. These players on every team fit into the roster and occupy spots teams could use for depth. They can't get away from using these players, and as a result it means they can't afford to keep an extra reserve player or two.
It seems the 53-man NFL roster simply has not kept up with the times.
Until the NFL expands rosters or has more of what baseball has in Shohei Ohtani—someone who can do more than one thing and do them well—they are saddled with specialized positions eating up roster spots. The practice squad only does so much for a team's depth because those players are not protected from other teams. They are virtually free agents.
Niche players have locked-in roster spots. It's not always just the "specialists," as special teams coordinator Chris Tabor likes to refer to his long snapper, kicker and punter.
There can be a few others, as well.
P Pat O'Donnell
The Bears made Pat O'Donnell the 14th highest-paid punter when they gave him $1.75 million for this year and it's proper compensation because he's been in about this range in terms of his statistical production in the league. Or is it? They might be getting away on the cheap here. O'Donnell is compiling middle-of-the-pack stats in terms of average distance but he's doing it in one of the most difficult stadiums in the NFL in which to punt. Half his games are on the windy lakefront. The November and December games can be brutal to a punter's averages. O'Donnell was 16th at 45.7 yards per punt among those who had at least 40 punts. Yet, he was 10th in total number of punts and this makes maintaining a higher punt average more difficult when the offense is so inept that they call on the punter all the time. And O'Donnell tied for third in the league at getting his punts dead inside the 20 with 28. He could stand to get a little better hang time. The Bears were 16th in punt coverage last year at 7.06 yards allowed a return and some of this can be prevented with higher punts. Then again, see the earlier comment about Soldier Field and punting there. Besides, the Bears are only paying for the 14th-best punter so what do they want? Maybe the only way O'Donnell is better for them is if he lines up at tight end, like Parsons.
Don't laugh. At 6-foot-4, 212 pounds, O'Donnell might be able to do something more than punt. He ran a 4.64-second 40-yard dash at the combine. Allen Robinson was only at 4.6 and David Montgomery was at 4.63.
Roster Chances: Lock.
Player Performance Rating: 4 on a 0-5 scale.
K Cairo Santos
The Bears did pay through the nose for a kicker, if not a punter. Or did they? Santos didn't get nearly the money Cody Parkey did. Santos signed for three years and $9 million with a $2.5 million bonus but $4.575 million in total guaranteed money, according to Spotrac.com. Parkey's deal was four years and $15 million with $9 million guaranteed. From Santos, the Bears got a record-setting season for best accuracy in franchise history (93.8%) and their longest ever field goal streak (27 straight). All the Bears got from Parkey was a double-doinking.
So, perhaps Ryan Pace is to be congratulated on signing a kicker for a reasonable price who is deadly accurate. Santos has yet to be tested with many 50-plus kicks or kicks with games on the line on the final play, or even a season on the line like Parkey was.
Santos' past history of a groin injury is always another concern as the Bears move into another training camp, but at least they don't have to worry initially about whether they have an actual kicker. This was the problem their last two years when they didn't know whether Eddy Pineiro could do the job in 2019 after discarding Parkey, and last season when Pineiro had his own groin injury and Santos had to be picked up for the practice squad to make sure they had someone available.
Roster Chances: Lock.
Player Performance Rating: 5 on a 0-5 scale.
LS Patrick Scales
Probably the best quality a team could have from a long snapper would be that no one ever realizes he is there for a very long time. About the only time anyone noticed Scales was when he wasn't there. He had a season when he suffered a torn ACL and the Bears had to find someone else to do it, Andrew DePaola. The Vikings now have DePaola as long snapper. The Bears are paying Scales $1.127 million to long snap. Some long snappers actually contribute as tacklers but according to Longsnap.com, Scales had one tackle last year and this is his career average. He has made six tackles in six NFL seasons. No one has complained lately about Scales' snaps, although coaches have made reference to a couple in the past as isolated reasons for a kick being missed or one going off the upright in one instance by Cody Parkey. Scales, a former Utah State long snapper, is 33 now and hardly at the end of his snapping days.
Roster Chances: Lock.
Player Performance Rating: 4 on a 0-5 scale.
RB Tarik Cohen
Cohen is in a unique spot. He is neither a starter nor a sub, but he is vital to their offense and they were no doubt hurt by losing the player who had their most yards after the catch in 2018 and 2019. His role of third-down back is a niche position. Some teams don't possess this type of player. The Bears have other backs who can catch passes, like Damien Williams or David Montgomery. But Cohen is more than this because he can line up split wide or in the slot and has to know how the offense works from everywhere. When healthy he was a big play waiting to happen. If the Bears could ever get defenses backed off a bit with their greater potential for deeper passing, you could see Cohen really gaining yardage after the catch underneath the coverage.
Now, though, there is concern whether he can do his job like before because of the torn ACL suffered in September. Most players can bounce back from these faster than in the past, sometimes even six or seven months. Often, however, it requires 12 to 18 months to get full range of motion and speed restored. This was the case with Allen Robinson when he looked like a different player in 2019 than in 2018. Cohen might not be the same player until halfway through this season.
Cohen's value extends to special teams, although they could have an answer as a punt returner now in Dazz Newsome should they decide Cohen isn't worth risking.
One other thing to remember about Cohen is he was coming off a poor 2019 season in 2020, looking to rebound when he was knocked out for the year.
Roster Chances: Lock
Player Performance Rating: 3 on a 0-5 scale.
TE J.P. Holtz
Matt Nagy and his coaches have made the a fourth tight end spot into a niche position. With many teams it's this way with a fullback. The Bears don't carry a fullback on the roster but have Holtz perform those types of duties as a short-yardage backfield blocker or a third tight end. He also plays special teams. At 6-3, 240, the coaches wouldn't fear lining him up as an in-line tight end because he is a good blocker. His value as a U- or move-tight end is minimal as he has just seven career receptions, all coming in 2019. He had a 30-yard gain on a tight end screen in 2019 but last year was targeted only once, and Mitchell Trubisky threw an interception in the end zone against Minnesota then. At least it looked like he might be targeting Holtz on the play. It would be possible for the Bears to replace Holtz with a player off waivers from another team, but much of a player's effectiveness at this position revolves around system knowledge. Holtz is going into his third year doing it. Bringing in another player who does what he does and training him in the offense would take up valuable time. The Bears should be content knowing he's a fourth tight end who can substitute at the position in an injury emergency and can always be active on Sundays to play special teams or the role of backfield blocker.
Roster Chances: 4 on a scale of 0-5.
Practice Squad Chances: 2 out of 5.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
