Chicago Bears: Adam Shaheen should thrive in preseason game vs. Arizona
Expect a big game out of Chicago Bears rookie tight end Adam Shaheen on Saturday night.
In his first on-field NFL action, Chicago Bears rookie tight end Adam Shaheen did not exactly light the world on fire. In the preseason opener against the Denver Broncos, Shaheen was targeted on only two passes, and he caught one of them for three yards. However, I expect that we will see much more out of Shaheen on Saturday night against the Arizona Cardinals.
Shaheen was a relatively surprising selection by the Bears, as they took him in the second round of the 2017 NFL Draft. Shaheen was a dominant tight end in college, but that is less impressive knowing that he played at the Division II level. However, Shaheen undoubtedly has an NFL skill set.
He stands 6-foot-6 and tips the scales at 270 pounds, obviously great size for the tight end position. That being said, Shaheen is not just a big body on the field. He is an impressive athlete for a man of his size, showing good overall speed and quickness and a knack for going up and getting the ball. At worst, Shaheen should grow into a strong red zone option for the Chicago Bears, but he undoubtedly has the upside to be much more.
Great matchup against Arizona
After a less than inspiring preseason debut, I think the Bears will look to get their young tight end involved on Saturday night. He probably will not get many reps with Mike Glennon and the first-team offense, but expect Shaheen to get ample opportunity when Mitch Trubisky gets on the field. And let’s be honest, Trubisky being on the field is what we care about most in this game.
I feel confident in Shaheen’s ability to abuse the inside linebackers on the Cardinals. Arizona has a strong starting inside linebacker duo of Haason Reddick and Karlos Dansby, but it gets pretty ugly after that.
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Scooby Wright and Phillip Wheeler are listed as the Cardinals’ second-team inside linebackers. Wright is a hard-working player who can make an impact at times, but he simply does not have the overall skill set to compete against Shaheen. Wright is far too small and not near athletic enough to handle Shaheen in the middle of the field. Wheeler is a decent veteran depth player, but the same can undoubtedly be said about him.
I expect Shaheen to abuse Wright, Wheeler and the rest of the Cardinals’ reserve linebackers on Saturday night. He has a real opportunity to have a big game and prove himself to Chicago Bears nation.