Chicago Bears: Players to watch against Carolina Panthers

4. TE Bradley Sowell

A former offensive lineman, the Bears decided to convert Bradley Sowell into a tight end this offseason. While he’s still learning the ropes of the position, it will be interesting to see where Sowell is at in terms of his development on Thursday night due to multiple reasons.

First, training camp merely gives a glimpse of where a player is at in terms of development. It’s in actual games where one can get a feel for where a player is at. This is why although he’s listed behind Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen on the depth chart, Sowell will receive some extra playing time so the Bears staff can see where’s at.

Second, Sowell is projected to be the Bears blocking tight end in 2019. While he may line up on the line of scrimmage sometimes and run routes, he’s not ready to operate from the slot. Those opportunities are reserved strictly for Burton and Shaheen.

One thing to watch for on Thursday night with Sowell is his catching ability. So far, Sowell has been inconsistent in practice. This is why giving his a majority of the reps on Thursday will go a long way towards his development.

Overall, Sowell is appearing to just scratch the surface of how good he really can be. As a veteran, it may be odd for him to switch positions this late in his career, but for him, there have been more positives than negatives so far.