The Chicago Bears expect to have a more explosive offense this season now that Brandon Marshall, Jay Cutler, Matt Forte and Michael Bush have been grouped together, but don't forget about rookie wide receiver Alshon Jeffery. Gary Horton of ESPN's Scouts Inc. recently wrote an article about NFL rookie WRs in the best situations for 2012, and Jeffery made the list. With Earl Bennett expected to play the slot, Horton thinks Jeffery will open the season as the starting "Z" receiver, opposite Brandon Marshall.
Furthermore, he expects Jeffery to make the most of his size and ability to track high balls very early in his career by becoming an instant red zone threat. Here is a bit of what Horton had to say:
Jeffery has size, is good at tracking the high ball and will be effective in the red zone, but he is a guy like Marshall who builds speed as he goes and can't get sloppy in his routes...Jay Cutler is certainly willing to take chances, and he'll throw it up for Jeffery. That could mean a lot of red zone targets, even if he doesn't have a huge number of catches.
If the Bears' 2012 second-round pick can make that sort of impact in the red zone during his first season, it could be a very good year for the offensive unit.
Stay tuned to SB Nation Chicago for more information, and for in-depth analysis on the Chicago Bears, be sure to visit Windy City Gridiron. And drop by SB Nation's NFL news hub for more updates and commentary from around the league.
Loading comments...