If the Chicago Bears are going to have a real Super Bowl race this year, they will need guys other than their stars to step up. Players who probably haven’t contributed much in 2019 for one reason or another. These types of players are often called sleepers. Those who come from humble origins to become the main factors of success of a team.
A somewhat difficult question is who could be this sleeper for these bears? There are obvious candidates to consider. Anthony Miller has flirted with stardom for the past two years. Maybe this is the one he put it all together. Bilal Nichols had such a promise as a rookie in 2018, but was delayed by an injury last season. It could rebound considerably. Then there is Kevin Toliver. He spent two years in the shadow of Prince Amukamara. Now he has the opportunity to start and is talented enough to do so.
Brad Gagnon of Bleacher Report, however, had a different name in mind. He sees sophomore Riley Ridley as the man to watch.
“It was a good sign for the Georgia product that Chicago again did not spend a high draft pick on a receiver and an even better sign when wide receiver coach Mike Furrey inflated Ridley’s tires on last month.
“I think the biggest growth we will see with anyone in our room will be Riley Ridley,” said Furrey in June, according to Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times.
Ginn and Cordarrelle Patterson are more accomplished, but Ridley has the ability to run and the skill of catching passes to beat them for regular outside reps this summer and fall. “
The Chicago Bears love Ridley but will they give him a chance?
Furrey’s comments were the first real revelation of this off-season. He clearly has high expectations for Ridley. It is not difficult to understand why. The kid had a lot of fans who came from Georgia. The size and the route of the racing prowess were there. It was a question of adapting to the speed of the NFL level. They seem to think that he is ready to take the next step.
The question is to give it a real opportunity? It looks like a bit of a hierarchy is already in place. Allen Robinson and Anthony Miller are sitting upstairs. Ted Ginn Jr. is pretty much in pencil like the starting guy “Z”. These are the first three places locked up. So how many chances can Ridley expect even if he wins that # 4 spot on the depth chart?
If he shows up at training camp and looks good, it will be up to head coach Matt Nagy to know if he gets a good shot.
