Chicago Bears: 10 players fighting for roster spot vs. Buffalo Bills

Offensive Tackle Rashaad Coward

One of my absolute favorite players of the offseason and now over the course of the preseason has been Rashaad Coward. Originally joining the Bears last year as an undrafted free agent defensive lineman out of Old Dominion, Coward made the switch to offensive line early on this year.

Typically, it takes quite a bit of time and, honestly, a rare instance for someone to make a switch like that and go on to have a successful and lengthy career. Coward, though, has made it look easy.

Now, that’s not to say his play has been perfect. There are times when he has gotten beat badly over the preseason, but he’s also had some fantastic moments in both the run game and pass protection.

Coward is currently competing with other linemen like Bradley Sowell, Jordan Morgan, Hroniss Grasu and Will Pericak. While Coward only plays tackle, a couple of other guys he’s competing with can play multiple positions. With the recent release of veteran Earl Watford, it remains to be seen whether or not Harry Hiestand prefers to keep the more versatile players.

Versatility aside, Coward’s potential is plain to see. Under Hiestand, he has the opportunity to flourish into a very solid backup tackle. If he is to play against the Bills (which is likely, considering he played the whole game against the Chiefs), Coward has a chance to cement himself on the roster with a strong performance.