In the Bears 27-21 loss to the Titans on Sunday, the Bears registered 10 drops. Two of the drops happened on the final drive of the game, first Joshua Bellamy with an inexcusable drop on first down and then Deonte Thompson dropping a ball he had to slide for on fourth down.
With the Bears dropping the ball (literally) a new opportunity has emerged for a much-anticipated debut of one Bears’ receiver, Daniel Braverman.
According to a league source, the seventh-round pick from Western Michigan will take linebacker Danny Trevathan’s roster spot, who was just placed on injured reserve with a torn patellar tendon in his right knee.
It’s about time.
The shifty slot receiver caught 13 touchdowns and racked up 1,367 receiving yards in his last season with the Broncos. Braverman lined up primarily in the slot in his last season at Western Michigan – 839 out of 873 snaps.
But, the stat that is most important especially after Sunday’s performance is that Braverman only had 11 drops out of 198 catchable passes that were thrown to him in 2014 and 2015. I’m sure Bears’ fans can appreciate that.
At only 5-10, 185 pounds, he easily became a crowd favorite throughout training camp. I had the privilege of watching him in Bourbonnais and he consistently created separation from the Bears’ defenders and made spectacular catches.
It’s early to speculate what Braverman can achieve, but it’s hard not to make the comparisons to players like Wes Welker and Julian Edelman. Braverman has a similar body type and playing style – hopefully, the Bears’ final pick in the 2016 NFL Draft can be a reliable receiver down the road.
With Kevin White out for the season, Eddie Royal still battling injuries and five games left in the season he is going to get some much needed playing time.
One thing is for sure, when he gets his first pass thrown his way he is going to make the best of it. I can see him putting a move on a defender, accelerating up the field, getting hit by a much bigger defender and getting up right away – waiting for the next snap.
He is a guy you absolutely must cheer for and when the 49ers come to Soldier Field on Sunday,
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