Zavion Thomas emerged as one of the big winners of the offseason workout programs. Ben Johnson and the coaching staff spoke glowingly about him, and he showcased his speed in a variety of ways. It led to Moe Moton of Bleacher Report saying to buy into the hype around Thomas.Â
However, there might be more underlying with Thomas that makes him buyer beware.
Chicago Bears should be cautious with Zavion Thomas hype
Ben Johnson discussed the role of Thomas and noted that he still needs to see Thomas harness his energy and run the routes the way they need to be run before he can get on the field. So, while Johnson is high on him, he is also admitting that there is still a lot of work for him to be an impactful piece of the team.Â
OTAs and offseason activities are the best times for players such as Thomas. They can flash their speed without getting hit. Offensive coaches can get creative and catch defenses off-guard without any repercussions. It makes sense that Thomas would flash in these sessions and why he would walk away as one of the biggest winners.
That does not necessarily mean it will translate immediately once the pads come on. Training camp and preseason are different environments, and receivers have to show they can consistently win against physical coverage while being in the right place every snap.
However, a lot of the talk around the player still centers around him being a gadget player and a special-teams asset. Johnson noted that they have to find ways to get him aligned in the right spot to take advantage of his speed. Johnson is creative, and perhaps he can pop in those specific moments.Â
However, it is hard to say that they can consistently get production out of him. The team has Khalif Raymond on the roster, and while Moton notes that it is a hill that Thomas can climb on the depth chart, it might be tougher than that.Â
The coaches are high on Thomas, but Raymond played with Johnson, going back to the Detroit Lions. So, he knows what to do and where to align. Until Thomas gets settled into a role that they can trust, the consistency of Raymond will outplay the flash of Thomas.Â
Thomas is trending up, but the Bears need to see more before it is time to buy.
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