Tag: Dazz Newsome

Bear Necessities: Tyke Tolbert praises under-the-radar WRs Tajae Sharpe, Dazz Newsome

The Bears have dealt with injuries at receiver, which has allowed guys like Tajae Sharpe and Dazz Newsome opportunities to shine.

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The Chicago Bears have dealt with injuries at wide receiver, which has allowed players further down the depth chart opportunities to shine. Tajae Sharpe and Dazz Newsome are two of those players who have boosted their stock as they look for a roster spot.

Sharpe has emerged as one of quarterback Justin Fields’ new weapons during training camp, and it translated to the field during the preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs.

Sharpe caught both passes thrown his way for 44 yards, including an impressive sideline grab from Fields. He’s showing why he deserves a spot on the roster — and involvement on offense.

“Smart guy,” said wide receivers coach Tyke Tolbert, via ChicagoBears.com. “He knows the offense well. He can play any position. We have him more on the outside, X and Z. He has some vet savviness to him, kind of knows what defenses are going to do to him sometimes. [He’s] one of the most experienced guys in the room. He’s been in NFL games before, made NFL plays before, scored NFL touchdowns before, so he knows how to go in there and play.”

Newsome didn’t get off to the most reassuring start in the preseason opener. Newsome, who’s listed as the starting punt returner, muffed a punt and then lost 10 yards when he tried to gain yardage.

But Newsome rebounded with a solid offensive showing, where he had one reception for 10 yards and a touchdown. He also added one rush for 13 yards.

“You’re showing that you have confidence in him,” Tolbert said. “Everybody makes mistakes. Players make mistakes, coaches make mistakes. It’s the next play up. You have to be able to go onto the next play. We want to show him that we have the confidence in him for him to make some plays, and he did. He responded well to that little bit of adversity he had on that punt in the game. We’re glad to see that.”

Newsome should get plenty of reps against the Seahawks where starters are going to be limited. Unfortunately, it doesn’t appear Sharpe will suit up for Thursday’s game as he’s day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.

Dazz Newsome haș standout catch in Bears practice

Former UNC football standout Dazz Newsome had some nice plays during Monday’s practice, following a touchdown in the Bears preseason opener.

Fresh off of a good showing in the first preseason game for the Chicago Bears, former UNC football standout [autotag]Dazz Newsome[/autotag] impressed in practice on Monday.

Newsome, a former sixth-round draft pick in 2021, made some spectacular plays in practice to get the week started after scoring a touchdown over the weekend.

Newsome scored on a 13-yard pass from Trevor Siemian in the right corner of the end zone.

Final cuts are approaching Aug. 30 and Newsome is continuing to do everything he can to make a roster spot with the Bears.

Here is what people were saying regarding Newsome’s play on Monday afternoon.

Bears roster bubble: Which players helped or hurt their cause in Week 1

Following the Bears’ Week 1 preseason win, here’s a look at which roster-bubble players impressed and disappointed vs. Chiefs.

The Chicago Bears opened the preseason with a 19-14 victory over the Kansas City Chiefs, where there were plenty of players who stood out — either in a good way or bad way.

With the first roster cuts set for Tuesday — where GM Ryan Poles will have to trim the roster from 90 to 85 — there were a handful of players who helped their chances of competing for a spot on the 53-man roster with strong preseason outings against the Chiefs. And there were others who might’ve hurt their chances.

Following Chicago’s Week 1 preseason win, here’s a look at which roster-bubble players helped or hurt their cause.

WATCH: Bears WR Dazz Newsome finds the endzone against the Chiefs

WATCH: Bears WR Dazz Newsome finds the endzone against the Chiefs

An offensive explosion has erupted for the Chicago Bears in the second half of their preseason opener against the Kansas City Chiefs. After finally finding the endzone thanks to a pass from quarterback Trevor Siemian to running back Trestan Ebner, the offense came right back for another score.

Siemian led the Bears on a seven-play drive that was capped off by a beautiful pass to wide receiver Dazz Newsome in the corner of the endzone. The catch was Newsome’s first of the day, going for 13 yards. Siemian, meanwhile, has thrown two touchdowns on the day and has a quarterback rating of 115.1.

The score put the Bears within one point at 14-13, but thanks to another Chiefs turnover, the offense got the ball back and kicker Cairo Santos added a field goal to make it 16-13 as the third quarter starts to wind down.

10 Bears on the roster bubble to watch in preseason opener vs. Chiefs

The Bears kick off the preseason against the Chiefs on Saturday, and there are a number of players vying for roster spots.

The Chicago Bears kick off the preseason against the Kansas City Chiefs on Saturday, and there are a number of players vying for roster spots and starting jobs.

While the starters will play around 15 to 20 snaps, it’s the players on the roster bubble who will see plenty of opportunities on Saturday. There are a number of players who have made waves during training camp, but they’ll need to have it translate to the preseason, where they’ll see their first live action of the summer.

Ahead of Chicago’s preseason opener, we’re taking a look at some roster bubble players to keep an eye on against Kansas City:

Position battle updates following first week of Bears training camp

Following the first seven practices of training camp, we’re taking a look at how some of the Bears’ top position battles are shaking out.

The Chicago Bears have wrapped their first full week of training camp with seven practices, including two with pads, in the books.

There’s been plenty of competition at multiple positions on the roster, including some shake-ups along the offensive line and at cornerback, as well as some interesting names emerging at wide receiver.

There are no shortage of roster battles we’ve been monitoring at the start of the summer, and there have been some interesting developments through the first portion of camp.

Following the first seven practices of training camp, we’re taking a look at how some of the Bears’ top position battles are shaking out.

10 under-the-radar Bears players to watch during training camp

While all eyes will be on some of the bigger names on the Bears roster, here are some under-the-radar players to watch in training camp.

The Chicago Bears kick off training camp in a couple of weeks, where there will be plenty of players fighting for a roster spot and looking to contribute in 2022.

There will no doubt be the big names everyone will be watching — including Justin Fields, David Montgomery, Darnell Mooney, Roquan Smith and Jaylon Johnson. Even top rookie selections Kyler Gordon, Jaquan Brisker and Velus Jones Jr.

But there are a handful of players who also bear watching when Chicago kicks off camp — those players who will be competing for a roster spot and/or starting job.

While all eyes will be on some of the bigger names, here’s a list of some under-the-radar players to watch during training camp.

Bears 2022 training camp preview: Wide receivers

We’re taking a look at the Bears wide receivers ahead of training camp and examining the biggest question facing the position group.

Chicago Bears training camp is less than a month away, which means it’s time to start looking ahead at the roster the team is bringing to Lake Forest.

We continue with the wide receivers, who are either going to shock people or be very underwhelming. There’s no in-between. With the loss of Allen Robinson this offseason, Darnell Mooney will officially be the top wide receiver for Justin Fields. With the quiet addition of Byron Pringle and the selection of rookie Velus Jones Jr, there are many questions going into training camp.

This is arguably the weakest wide receiver room the Bears have had since 2017. Still, before counting out this group, they need to play on the field. We’ll get a taste of that during training camp.

Let’s take a look at the wide receivers heading into training camp.

Four-star 2024 WR set to visit UNC Football this weekend

A four-star wide receiver in the 2024 class is visiting the UNC football program this weekend.

This weekend will be a big one in terms of recruiting for the UNC football program in Chapel Hill.

We already wrote on one of the top 2024 players set to return for a visit and now he will be joined by a four-star receiver in the class. Keylen Adams revealed that he will also be in attendance this weekend, setting up a big visit for the Tar Heels.

The 6-foot-2, 180-pound wide receiver is a Virginia Beach native that is ranked No. 65 overall, No. 12 wide receiver and the No. 1 player in the state of Virginia per the 247Sports recruiting rankings. Adams has a total of 17 offers, drawing interest from programs like Florida State, Ole Miss, Penn State, Virginia, and Virginia Tech among others.

The Tar Heels have found success in the state of Virginia under [autotag]Mack Brown[/autotag] and [autotag]Dre Bly[/autotag]. They’ve landed top talent like [autotag]Zach Rice[/autotag], [autotag]Tony Grimes[/autotag], and [autotag]Dazz Newsome[/autotag] among others over the years.

Follow us @TarHeelsWire on Twitter and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of North Carolina Tar Heels news, notes and opinions.

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NFL.com gave Bears’ 2021 rookie draft class a B- grade

As his parting gift, former Bears GM Ryan Pace left the team with a 2021 draft class with plenty of potential.

As his parting gift, former Bears general manager Ryan Pace left the team with a 2021 rookie draft class with plenty of potential. At the time, Pace’s seven-player draft class was hailed as the best of the draft. But, as we know, you can never grade a draft class before the players even hit the field.

So how did Chicago’s rookie draft class fare when all was said and done in 2021?

NFL.com is grading each of the 32 NFL team’s 2021 rookie draft classes following one season. The Bears earned a B-, which was to be expected following Justin Fields’ rocky debut and some potential late-round gems.

When looking at Chicago’s rookie draft class, you have to start with Fields, who the Bears traded up to acquire at 11th overall. It was a bold move for Pace to acquire a franchise quarterback of the future, which could’ve saved his job. But the handling of Fields ultimately resulted in Pace and Matt Nagy’s firings at the end of the season.

Fields flashed plenty of potential, but he had his share of mistakes — some of which were on him and others that were on the coaching staff.

…the 22-year-old did flash rare traits with his arm and legs, despite the fact Nagy didn’t always put him in the best position to show them off. He still holds onto the ball too long — which helps explain his 12 fumbles in 12 total games — but that 4.4 pro day speed translates quite nicely to the pro game. And his downfield accuracy’s undeniable, whether he’s standing tall in the pocket, rolling to the right or escaping a collapsing pocket to his left. The skill set’s highly enticing — now it’s up to the new coaching staff to cultivate consistency.

Aside from Fields, there were some late-round gems with this group, which was Pace’s specialty. Fifth-round offensive tackle Larry Borom stepped in at right tackle and was solid, while sixth-round running back Khalil Herbert and cornerback Thomas Graham Jr. looked like steals that could have significant impacts in 2022.

Beyond the marquee-topping first-round pick, Chicago’s 2021 draft haul was a mixed bag in Year 1. While Jenkins’ rookie season was marred by injuries and inadequacy, the Bears’ second OT selection (Borom) proved to be a late-round find. Speaking of which, Herbert and Graham look like sixth-round steals, albeit in a much more limited sample size for the latter.

For all of the good, there were plenty of questions from this group. Second-round offensive tackle Teven Jenkins, who the Bears traded up to land, missed most of the season after back surgery and wide receiver Dazz Newsome spent most of the year on the practice squad.

But one year won’t define this draft class. Let’s check back in a few years down the line.

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