Al Afalavadingdong and the Chicago Bears
Published by Eric Phillips on August 17, 2009
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
What in the world is going on in the Chicago secondary?
I know that they have said good things about Al Afalava, but this is probably the biggest question on my mind right now: Why is our sixth round draft pick slated at the starting FS spot over Craig Steltz?
Steltz was being talked about as if he were strides ahead of last season. The Bears did not bring in an experienced veteran to take over the position, therefore I would have to think they are very comfortable with whom they have back there, but this just takes the cake.
Afalava didn’t even practice as much as he should have; he was finishing classes at Oregon State University when the OTAs were taking place. He was turning heads in training camp, he was making plays, but I didn’t realize it was to the extent it was.
I understand Daniel Manning was injured and maybe that had something to do with it, but that can’t be all of it. Manning was supposed to be a reserve safety and the starting nickle back.
Steltz was supposed to be challenged by Corey Graham. I thought maybe Steltz had a minor injury they didn’t want to mess with, but then comes the third quarter and our supposed No. 1 FS is playing with the second and third team.
Afalava, in my honest opinion, played great for his first NFL action. He made a big tackle on Marshawn Lynch, a great running back for the Bills. He also seemed to always be around the ball, having four total tackles on defense and one on special teams.
It was nice to see that the kid can play, but that still doesn’t answer my question: When did Afalava leap over Steltz in the depth chart?!
