Chicago Bears: An Updated Post-Draft Depth Chart
Specialists
Kicker: Cody Parkey
Punter: Pat O’Donnell, Ryan Winslow
LS: Patrick Scales
KR: Tarik Cohen, Benny Cunningham
PR: Tarik Cohen, Eddie Jackson
What a breath of fresh air to see Parkey as the kicker and not the scattershot Connor Barth on the roster. I do find it interesting that while the Bears did bring back O’Donnell, they did bring in some competition.
If you hadn’t heard of Winslow before, we don’t blame you. Scouting kickers and punters is a tricky aspect of scouting. Typically the best kickers are the most accurate ones and the best punters can 1) kick the ball really deep and 2) pin the ball in the red zone whenever possible.
Winslow doesn’t exactly do either well. From NFL.com’s Lance Zierlein, his weaknesses are as follows:
- Inconsistent ball striker on 50-plus yard kicks
- Failed to nail opponents inside 20 or 10 on an acceptable level
- Has small stall after the catch and can be way too deliberate in his catch-to-punt operational time
- Allows rush to close tight on too many punts and could be a target for special teams coaches to come after as a pro
O’Donnell isn’t safe but he doesn’t have much to worry about.
For the returns, expect ‘Rik to do his thing. Should Cunningham make the roster, he may take some kick returns. Jeff Rodgers briefly experimented with Jackson as a punt returner because he had some return chops in college, but that was put to rest after a short time. Mostly because Cohen showed us he’s just a highlight machine.
Next: Chicago Bears: Post-Draft Outlook for 2018
Conclusion…
So that’s pretty much all she wrote regarding the new Bear’s roster. If I’m not mistaken, there are a couple spots still open. Perhaps they add another camp arm after rookie minicamp or they shuffle around some linemen.
Either way, this group will look different when the Chicago Bears travel to Lambeau Field to open up Sunday Night Football.
Stay tuned.
#Beardown.