Head coach Matt Nagy has kept quiet on what his plans are for the Chicago Bears kicking competition since Cody Parkey was released a couple of months ago. All people have known to this point is the job is wide open and all comers are welcome. The Bears had no fewer than eight legs present at their rookie minicamp on May 3rd to get things started.
It appears Nagy wasn't going to ease anybody into it. No warmups or anything. When speaking with the media, he revealed what the situation was. Each kicker was given one opportunity. They would be set up from 43 yards out with the entire team looking on. Either they make it or they miss it. That's it. No do-overs.
Just like a legitimate playoff situation that Parkey faced back in January.
In fairness, the entire day wasn't horrible for the six who ended up missing. Still, the Bears are looking for guys who can deliver under pressure. One of the two who did was none other than their undrafted free agent signing John Baron out of San Diego State.
This isn't a surprise. Baron has been doing stuff like that since high school. As for Evans, he had a decent final year at Purdue in 2018, going 18-of-23 on his field goals.
Matt Nagy unlikely to make immediate decision but he already has good data
Basing the entire decision on one kick in a rookie minicamp would be unwise for the Bears. They should at least let this thing play out into training camp. That doesn't mean Nagy's mode of operation to this point isn't wise. Not only did he get a sense of the guys who are pretty good from a distance beyond 40 yards, but also those who have some clutch to them.
It appears that Baron and Evans gained an early upper hand in the competition. No doubt they're hoping to use that to their advantage moving forward. This isn't something Nagy invented either. He no doubt picked it up from his time with Dave Toub in Kansas City. Something he frequently did with Robbie Gould back in his time as Bears special teams coordinator.
That seemed to work out pretty well.
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