Chicago Bears: 3 players to watch in preseason opener
No. 1: Adam Shaheen
Drafted in the second round of the 2017 draft out of Ashland, second-year tight end Adam Shaheen will look to follow up a quiet rookie year with a big sophomore campaign.
Shaheen played in 13 games last season, starting just seven. In those seven games, Shaheen recorded 12 receptions for 127 yards and three touchdowns. While those stats seem incredibly disappointing, it is important to note that Shaheen spent most of the season behind Zach Miller and Dion Sims on the depth chart.
Adam Shaheen with a big time catch over Callahan. pic.twitter.com/UqmK7L0VmU
— CHGO Bears (@CHGO_Bears) July 30, 2018
Coming into 2018, Shaheen’s situation is a bit different. Miller is out for the season, Sims is going to be more of a blocker, and only Trey Burton is ahead of Shaheen on the Bears depth chart.
Matt Nagy’s utilization of Shaheen in his creative, explosive offense will be a major storyline to watch throughout the entire season. As Shaheen is given an extended role, his production will be vital to the Bears offensive success in 2018 and beyond.
So far, it looks like Shaheen is adapting well to his new role. Take a look at another one of Shaheen’s highlights from Training Camp:
Ladies and gentlemen... Adam Shaheen pic.twitter.com/c8I8w1tDSQ
— Barroom Network - Aldo Gandia (@BarroomNetwork) July 30, 2018
The clips speak for themselves. Adam Shaheen is thriving in an expanded role with the Bears.
The next step will be production on the field. We’ll get our first look at Shaheen on Thursday, who’ll likely get an extended look with both the first and second units.