Bears Blitz

Talk about an enigma or a player who makes approximately two big catches per season that either put the Bears in position to win or wins the game outright. This is Rashied Davis‘ career in a nutshell—a player who shouldn’t be on the roster, but still finds a way to stick.

Davis is a former Arena League performer who has manned the Bears’ third receiver slot for the last three years. He is not as productive as you’d want out of a slot receiver, nor is he consistent.

His value to the team has been primarily as a special teams man. So the question is, with the drafting of three receivers, can Davis keep his spot on the roster?

The immediate answer is yes, Davis will likely be on the roster come the start of the season. However, if the Bears do add a veteran receiver, the chances of Davis making the roster decrease dramatically.

The Bears only kept five receivers on the 53-man roster a year ago. With Devin Hester and Earl Bennett assured of spots, and rookies Johnny Knox and Juaquin Iglesias also in position to be on the final roster, only one more will likely be included.

If the Bears sign a veteran, that vet will make five receivers, making Davis’ spot extinct. Although we know the Bears are currently in a holding pattern regarding signing a veteran receiver, a post-training camp cut may be what they are looking for.

Also working against Davis is his small stature; at only 5’9″ and 189 pounds, Davis doesn’t have the size that best fits on the roster.

He also doesn’t have the same level of speed that Johnny Knox possesses, thus pushing him further down the depth chart as a speed option.

So the question is, where does Davis fit in?

The answer is I don’t know if he does fit in on the roster any longer. While he did have the best season of his career last year, his hands aren’t as consistent as you’d like to see.

His downfield ability is only slightly above average, and he can be replaced in the special teams game by a hungry rookie like Derek Kinder.

Although I am not an advocate of Kinder making the roster as a seventh-round pick, I wouldn’t rule it out as a possibility yet, either.

Many an expert has spoken highly of Kinder and said that if it werenn’t for an injury issue as a senior, he may have been an earlier round selection.

If Kinder is recovered and lives up to a higher round draft slot then he could supplant the veteran Davis. Will that scenario play out? I doubt it, which likely leaves Davis’ position on the roster safe for now.

A player who has just been consistent enough hangs on by a thread, waving in the wind. Forever at risk of losing his roster spot, but making plays that matter in the clutch.