Chicago Bears Rumors: Who were scouts watching last night?

Who were Chicago Bears scouts watching last night?

We are approximately one week out from the Chicago Bears first game of the 2020 season when they travel to Detroit to take on the Lions next Sunday. However, if you are a football junky and needed a fix before then, you were likely watching last night’s college football game between the University of Alabama-Birmingham Blazers and Central Arkansas Bears.

Interestingly enough, another group watching the game — in person — were a number of NFL scouts. This included a contingent from the Chicago Bears who were in attendance for the affair according to The Draft Network’s Jordan Reid.

So who were the scouts there to see? Well, it is tough to say with certainty as only the scouts in attendance know who they went to evaluate. Often times, other players who weren’t even the intended targets will catch their eye. However, with some reasonable degree of certainty, we can say they were there to evaluate the two players who at the moment are the most realistic NFL Draft prospects for 2020.

Chicago Bears scouting skill position players?

Those players are both from UAB.

The first, interestingly, is a running back. After David Montgomery went down with an injury, many Bears fans bemoaned the team’s lack of depth at the position. Those groans grew louder when the team failed to sign Leonard Fournette. Perhaps, though, the team is looking to next year’s draft to add depth behind Montgomery — especially if they are unable to re-sign Tarik Cohen.

If they do, Spencer Brown from UAB could be an option. Brown, who is on the preseason Doak Walker Award watchlist stands approximately 6-feet tall and weighs 220 pounds. He is a very solidly built back who became UAB’s all-time leading rusher in just his junior season.

As a sophomore in 2017, he rushed for 1,227 yards and scored 16 touchdowns. Last year he had only 566 yards and five touchdowns having missed four games due to an ankle injury. However, he is someone that the Bears may in fact have their eyes on and they were likely impressed with his 127 yards and one touchdown performance last night.

The second candidate, also at a skill position, is wide receiver Austin Watkins, Jr. Interestingly, the Bears seem pretty full at the wide receiver position, but the uncertain futures of Ted Ginn, Allen Robinson, and Javon Wims could turn it into a position of need very quickly. Watkins also had a nice performance last night hauling in 7 passes for 72 yards. The big-bodied wide receiver stands 6 feet 3 inches tall and weighs 203 pounds and could be an option to replace any of the aforementioned receivers next year.