Previewing the Chicago Bears special teams for 2017

A complete preview of the Chicago Bears special teams situation for the 2017 season.

Last, but certainly not least, we are going the Chicago Bears special teams for the 2017 NFL season. All offensive and position groups previews are done (you can see them all at the bottom of this post), so now we are going to take a look at the special teams.Chicago Bears special teams for the 2017 NFL season. All offensive and position groups previews are done (you can see them all at the bottom of this post), so now we are going to take a look at the special teams.

A recent waiver wire addition has made one special teams position battle interesting so we might as well start there.

Connor Barth is a perfectly acceptable NFL kicker. Through his eight-year NFL career, Barth has connected on 84% of his field goal attempts. He does not have the strongest leg in the NFL, but he is consistent in short to intermediate range and will hit a long one at times as well.

Kicker competition

That being said, Barth does not have much long-term upside. He is a decent guy to have around for now, but he would be relatively easy to replace on the open market. So, the Bears decided to hit the waiver wire and take a shot on some upside.

On Sunday, the Chicago Bears claimed kicker Roberto Aguayo on waivers. Aguayo was waived by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Saturday after missing an extra point and a 47-yard field goal in their first preseason game.

Aguayo is one of the most accurate kickers in college football history and was a second-round (!) pick by the Bucs in 2016. Any pick for a kicker that early is a reach, but Aguayo was legitimately an elite kicker prospect.

However, for whatever reason, Aguayo was terrible as a rookie. He hit 32 of 34 extra points and 22 of 31 field goals on the season. His 71% field goal percentage was the worst in the entire NFL for any kicker who attempts more than two field goals on the year. Yeah, Aguayo really could not have been much worse last season.

However, there is no downside in the Bears taking a chance on him. Perhaps he just needed a change of scenery? Even if it doesn’t work out, they could easily let him go without losing much. That being said, Aguayo was considered one of the best kicking prospects in recent memory just a year ago. Has he fallen completed apart already? Barth versus Aguayo will be an interesting battle to watch through the rest of camp.

Sure things

I want to mention punter and long snapper here, but there really isn’t much to talk about. Pat O’Donnell is back in his fourth season as the punter the Chicago Bears. He has proven to be one of the best in the business and the Bears did not even bring in any competition for him in training camp.

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Long snapper Patrick Scales is in a similar situation. The 2017 season will be Scales’ third year with the Bears and he is well respected around the league. Scales gave the Bears no reason to bring another guy in for camp. Barring injury, Scales will be the long snapper throughout 2017 and O’Donnell will be the punter.

Returners

Deonte Thompson will likely be the Bears’ primary kick returner again in 2017. Thompson has a nice knack for the position and has some big play upside. He had three returns in the first preseason game, including one that went for 44 yards. Thompson averaged 29.3 yards per kick return that nice.

On the first depth chart of the year, Benny Cunningham, Tarik Cohen and Eddie Jackson were also listed as kick returners. However, as long as he makes the roster, Thompson will be the primary guy.

In the first preseason game, rookies Cohen and Jackson took care of the punt return duties. Both are explosive players who would certainly make a lot of sense back there. However, Bryce Callahan and Cre’Von LeBlanc are listed as the top two punt returners on the first depth chart.

Honestly, I think Cohen and/or Jackson take over punt return duties before it is all said and done, but I wouldn’t be surprised to see Callahan or LeBlanc get an opportunity as well.

All in all, the most interesting thing here is undoubtedly the kicker competition. Will the Bears shoot for the long-term upside of Aguayo or the security of Barth? We will find out soon enough, but in such a rebuilding situation, I am rooting for the young guy to turn it around.

Next: What we learned from Bears' first preseason game

The rest of the Chicago Bears position previews:

Quarterbacks
Running Backs
Wide Receivers
Tight Ends
Offensive Line
Defensive Line
Outside Linebackers
Inside Linebackers
Cornerbacks
Safeties