It seems the Chicago Bears have stuck to a theme this offseason. One thing about GM Ryan Pace. When he sets his mind to something, he's going to hammer it into the ground. One of those things for 2020? Add speed to his wide receiving corps. The Bears had one of the least-explosive units in the passing game last year. No doubt a huge reason the team struggled to score points.
So to correct this issue, they set about finding help. In the draft, they secured speedy Tulane receiver Darnell Mooney in the 5th round. Then shortly after the draft, they grabbed veteran Ted Ginn Jr. A man always known for his ability to stress defenses deep. That combination gave the Bears much more to work with this time around.
However, it seems Pace (or the coaching staff) wasn't quite satisfied. So they added a little more seasoning to the new recipe by signing free agent Rodney Adams. Most people will remember him as a former 5th round pick of the Minnesota Vikings who retired after his rookie year in 2017. Then after a two-year hiatus applied for reinstatement back in January.
Adams has a steep ladder to climb with the Chicago Bears
At 25-years old, Adams is still plenty young with no wear and tear on the body. The big question with him is how will the long layoff out of football have affected him? There's no doubt he can still run. The kid posted a 4.44 in the 40-yard dash at the scouting combine. Speed that showed up frequently at South Florida where he averaged 13.4 yards per touch with 20 touchdowns across two years as a starter. He can scoot.
Best guess? The Bears don't view him as true competition for the main roster. He is a camp body meant to provide insurance against injuries. He could end up on the practice squad as an emergency option for Cordarrelle Patterson. Adams was a capable kick returner in college, averaging over 25 yards per return.
The athletic talent is there. Whether he is ready to embrace the work to polish up his game was and remains the big question.
