With the Chicago Bears preseason and roster cuts in the books, the most notable decision was opting to only carry five receivers. A big piece of this can be attributed to how rookie Zavion Thomas closed out a summer performance that has left Chicago with an obvious debate to be had moving forward. Thomas had five catches for 140 yards in the preseason finale in an undeniable statement game that gave hope that the rookie's speed is going to translate into great moments for the starting offense.
The problem the Bears are facing is a great one to having debating the experience of Kalif Raymond vs. the unknown ceiling of the rookie. Chicago is entering a season where the franchise can expect to get every opposing team's best shot based on the headlines the Bears have demanded. With this comes an understanding that you need to be at your absolute best to defend an NFC North tightly that will unquestionably be contested.
Add in the fact that the Bears have embraced youth defensively and are going to need time for Dennis Allen's unit to gel and the battle the Bears are facing becomes clear. Chicago doesn't have room to stumble or for Thomas to be making rookie mistakes or messing with an offense that has the potential to be one of the league's best.
With this in mind, it will be interesting to watch how aggressive Ben Johnson choosing to be with managing the snaps of Thomas. It will be telling as to how much trust the speedster has truly earned from a coaching staff that is going to be managing a wealth of weapons.
Bears Have Interesting Early-Season Decision to Make with Zavion Thomas
It is important to note here that this is in now way meant to predict that Thomas is going to struggle or be unable to find an impact. Rather, it is pointing out the inevitable struggles that every rookie pass catcher is going to face as they work to adjust to the next level. In the complicated offense of Johnson this is especially the case as Thomas is going to need time to make needed adjustments and be at his best.
Still, the Bears can't help but want to utilize elite speed that has the ability to catch an opposing defense off guard. For Chicago, the question becomes whether or not the franchise is going to embrace the predictable production of Raymond, or give Thomas a higher volume of snaps understanding the payoff down the road.
Regardless of the answer, this is an offense set to begin the season in exciting fashion and help push the Bears back to the top of the NFC. How much of a role Thomas plays in this remains up for debate as excitement around the historic franchise continues to reach a fever pitch.
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