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Bradley Sowell and Taquan Mizzell change positions


soulman

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Bradley Sowell and Taquan Mizzell change positions at Bears OTAs

by Brendan Sugrue

https://bearswire.usatoday.com/2019/05/22/bradley-sowell-and-taquan-mizzell-change-positions-at-bears-otas/

The Bears are shaking up their roster internally at their organized team activities this week, announcing Bradley Sowell, a former swing tackle, is now listed as a tight end, and Taquan Mizzell, a former running back, is now listed as a wide receiver.

#Bears now list Bradley Sowell as a TE and Taquan Mizzell as a WR on their most current roster.

— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) May 22, 2019

Sowell, whose career highlight came last December when he caught a two-yard touchdown pass against the Los Angeles Rams on a play dubbed "Santa's Sleigh" now adds some competition to the tight end group that includes Trey Burton, Adam Shaheen, Ben Braunecker, and Dax Raymond, among others. Sowell will likely be used as more of a blocking tight end, though he has shown the ability to be a red zone threat when called upon.

Mizzell, meanwhile, joins an already crowded wide receiver corps and was far from a lock to make the 53-man roster as a running back come September.  He faces an even bigger hurdle moving to wide receiver, but time will tell if the move ultimately pays off for him and the Bears.

As part of the position switch, Sowell will now wear jersey #85 and Mizzell will wear #11.

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Well I like the TE being able to flex and move around, but when Sowell went to FB he was too damn slow to make the block and caused the RB to slow up (Howard IIRC, who is slower to start than our current HBs). IDK. Kind of seems like a Scruggs-level deal.

 

"You're not good enough to play at X so your only shot is Y."

 

I'd be surprised if either is on the team at those spots TBH. I thought Sowell had a good chance as a reserve OT, though I sure as hell wouldn't want him doing anything out there besides being the "extra" OL.

Edited by Sugashane
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3 hours ago, Sugashane said:

Well I like the TE being able to flex and move around, but when Sowell went to FB he was too damn slow to make the block and caused the RB to slow up (Howard IIRC, who is slower to start than our current HBs). IDK. Kind of seems like a Scruggs-level deal.

 

"You're not good enough to play at X so your only shot is Y."

 

I'd be surprised if either is on the team at those spots TBH. I thought Sowell had a good chance as a reserve OT, though I sure as hell wouldn't want him doing anything out there besides being the "extra" OL.

Mornin' gang!

For as athletic as Sowell is for an OT he's never been able to capture a starting spot anywhere but he's always been just good enough hang.....so far.

Now I wonder if those days are over and as far as Nagy is concerned he's gonna fill the role Sims had and play nothing but TE.  They've given him number #85 so it sure seems like it but then who backs up Leno at LT if he's injured.....Whitehair?

Or is Coward coming along well enough that he could fill the role of a Swing OT?

Having a 6'7" 300lb TE coupled with a 6'6" 270lb TE lined up in a goal line offense presents all kinds of mysteries for a DC since both can block or leak out into the end zone as a receiver and how do your 6' tall or less DBs defend them if they do?

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2 hours ago, soulman said:

Mornin' gang!

For as athletic as Sowell is for an OT he's never been able to capture a starting spot anywhere but he's always been just good enough hang.....so far.

Now I wonder if those days are over and as far as Nagy is concerned he's gonna fill the role Sims had and play nothing but TE.  They've given him number #85 so it sure seems like it but then who backs up Leno at LT if he's injured.....Whitehair?

Or is Coward coming along well enough that he could fill the role of a Swing OT?

Having a 6'7" 300lb TE coupled with a 6'6" 270lb TE lined up in a goal line offense presents all kinds of mysteries for a DC since both can block or leak out into the end zone as a receiver and how do your 6' tall or less DBs defend them if they do?

That is the million dollar question. He is athletic, no doubt. But how the heck are they assuming he can while going non-contact? Lucas couldn't have found a way to snag the spot.

 

Maybe Shaheen is going to bulk up and become the OT? lol

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28 minutes ago, Sugashane said:

That is the million dollar question. He is athletic, no doubt. But how the heck are they assuming he can while going non-contact? Lucas couldn't have found a way to snag the spot.

 

Maybe Shaheen is going to bulk up and become the OT? lol

If Lucas can play LT I'd be shocked.  His only hope would be that he's so big it would take two plays just to get around him.

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2 hours ago, Madmike90 said:

Even with these switches I see no way either make the roster.

Sowell will make it as an OLmen, this is just an offseason thing.

He will fill a bunch of roles

-Short yardage TE

-FB

-Back up OT

 

Who else makes it on the OL?

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2 hours ago, beardown3231 said:

Nagy said 98% of the team showed up which is terrific.

I know it's knit picky, but I wonder who didn't show.

There are guys who miss for legit reasons

-Back in school

-Kids

-Other family commitments

If a guy told me he did not want to miss 2-3 weeks with his kids I would respect that, especially with a veteran.

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7 hours ago, AZBearsFan said:

The real news here IMO is the Mizzell switch, which I think makes it less likely he somehow steals a roster spot. I don’t want him anywhere near this team. 

Sowell seems like they are just cross training him.

Mizzell seems like a last desperate try to make the team, like a fish flopping around on a dock.

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