The TE Position -- What are we doing?

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HurricaneBear
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UOK wrote:Today's TE notes:
  • Shaheen warms up and returns to practice
  • Shaheen aggravates injury, removes pads, and goes to sideline, done for the day
  • Ian Bunting is working with the first team for whatever reason
  • Braunecker drops back-to-back end zone catches
  • Burton makes big end zone catch in heavy coverage
My god Shaheen wtf!! Gotta be kidding me with this guy!
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Otis Day
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Not sure why Shaheen's performance, or lack thereof, surprises people. Most all anywhere would agree he was a reach, a big time reach. He was a bball player, some of the most sissified people in sports, next to soccer players. They cannot take contact without flailing all over the place.

I think most agree, if he was a later rd pick, he would probably be gone. I really don't see him being more than a part time, avg guy.
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Are you sure Shaheen re-aggravated it?
Or maybe the plan was just for him to warm up but not participate in practice?
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The Marshall Plan
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wab wrote:Nagy's offense is built around confusion and misdirection, so a player like Sowell has value. If they asked him to make this huge change and they cut him after camp, it pretty much kills his career unless some other team thinks they can use him as a TE...because no one is bringing in a 255lb OT to start the season.

You'd have to think they said hey man, we are asking you to switch positions because we have a plan for you. Not, hey man as a last ditch effort to keep you on the roster we are going to ask you to lose 40lbs and switch positions...and if it doesn't work out you will probably be out of the NFL for at least 2019.
I was thinking about Sowell at TE today. Nagy definitely has something up his sleeve with this guy. Nagy doesn't strike me as the type of guy that, like you said, would ask somebody to make such a radical change only to cut him later on. With the way Zach Miller has been treated by Pace and this organization I don't see the front office supporting a move that like either. Nagy has something wild like Santa's Sleigh in mind for Sowell.
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Anyone have any video/"tape" of Ian Bunting?
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I'm probably wrong but will guess they're going to cut bait on Shaheen, likely trying to trade him if possible (unlikely). I think that's what I'd do (which is only one of many reasons why I'm not a GM lol).

Shaheen is not a baby Gronk or Kelce or Ertz. What is the difference between he and Sowell, really? Maybe not much in receiving ability or size and it comes down to Sowell blocking better and doesn't get hurt every time he plays? Shaheen has appeared in only 19 of a possible 32 regular-season games during his career. It it worth losing a good blocking TE to roll the dice on a guy with that record? He's not a bust but he's a disappointment and unreliable. And there is no room on the team for disappointments or guys who can't stay on the field.

I do agree that Sowell was probably looking at being a casualty on the Bears unless he made the switch. And there is rationale that he "could" be risking his career by slimming down to what is his more natural weight. But how many teams would look at a pretty good blocking TE who can catch? I think quite a few. I believe the Bears may conclude that Sowell would not in fact be available once they cut him. So then it becomes a question of only being able to keep one Y guy & their respective reliability.

So I'll predict:
1 - Burton
2 - Brauneker, because he's "Burton Light" at the U, and also a STer. They really like him. 10 does too.
3 - Sowell, because they're going to run a LOT and need the reliability. He's a legit blocker with TD catch on tape. He's a Nagy gadget that the D needs to pay attention to when he lines up as eligible. Plus, emergency OL depth when they're already going to go skinny on that depth chart.
- Bunting and Raymond to the PS hoping at least one sticks.

Yeah - 3 TEs because they need to keep 7 WRs and 4 RBs .
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At this point, my prediction is...
Burton
Shaheen... IR
Braunecker... Jack of all trades STs guy
Sowell... Road grader
Bunting... Taller version of Burton

Raymond... PS maybe

With what Bunting has shown, there's no way he doesn't get snatched up off the practice squad by somebody else. He has super high upside. So he makes the team or goes on IR if anything happens.
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I think Shaheen, Burton and Braunecker are locks. I think Sowell makes it as well.

If Bunting keeps getting chances in the pre-season and excelling, he should be in as depth.

Raymond -- as much as I liked his college "tape" --I think he's ticketed for the PS.
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As weird as it is to say, I think that outside of Burton, the only lock is Sowell. I do believe the Bears carry 4 TE's though. Shaheen has a lead for one of the final two spots, and the other will come down to Braunecker and probably Bunting.
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I'm not so horny to write off Shaheen. I feel like he's currently boiling in the weird hate-fervor that Bears fans typically get when a player doesn't meet expectations and/or gets frequently hurt. Sometimes that desire to cast out the Jonah makes sense, and for Shaheen that may well soon be the case, but that time is not now.

I don't want to see Shaheen go out to New England and become an All-Pro all because we lost patience with a bad muscle in his back.
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@UOK FWIW Adam Hoge said on his podcast that Shaheen has been showing flashes of what he was doing last year in camp. I don't think I want him to play in the pre-season just so we can *hope* to have him 100% healthy week 1.
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Maybe the Bears should PUP the guy and let him get right for once.
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G08
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wab wrote: Wed Aug 14, 2019 1:54 pm Maybe the Bears should PUP the guy and let him get right for once.
I'd love nothing more than for him to turn into a legit weapon for our offense.
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Mikefive
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wab wrote: Wed Aug 14, 2019 1:54 pm Maybe the Bears should PUP the guy and let him get right for once.
I think that's a really good idea. Backs are weird and not to be trifled with.
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