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The Adam Shaheen Thread


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Wonderful. He wants to be good. I think most guys want to get play well and ultimately get paid. So far I can say that Shaheen has been a disappointment. Whatever variables for that anyone wants to use is fine. You know who else I wanted to succeed because his athleticism was ridiculous and he was a good guy? Kevin White. Also so far for #87, I don't have my hopes high. I want to be wrong.

Edited by beardown3231
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2 hours ago, beardown3231 said:

Wonderful. He wants to be good. I think most guys want to get play well and ultimately get paid. So far I can say that Shaheen has been a disappointment. Whatever variables for that anyone wants to use is fine. You know who else I wanted to succeed because his athleticism was ridiculous and he was a good guy? Kevin White. Also so far for #87, I don't have my hopes high. I want to be wrong.

Yeah, this is kinda my way of looking at things as well. You want the best, but have to temper expectations based on the information presented. That is being pragmatic, not being pessimistic. There is nothing wrong with that IMO.

 

He has measurables to be a stud, but seems to lack the durability to progress. He seems awkward at times but if he makes the catches and makes the blocks needed I couldn't care much less about stat padding plays or high YAC - those are awesome bonuses but the meat and potatoes are solid blocking and soft hands. Sure, it would be cool to have a TE who could take a 70 yarder to the house, but I'd be happy with an all-around TE who is a match up problem. Doesn't have to be Gonzales, Winslow, or Gronk, but someone who isn't going to be a liability and offers consistency. He could do it IMO if he could stay healthy, but history so far hasn't been kind in that regard.

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The biggest issue I had with Shaheen, aside from health, was his inability to consistently stay on his feet after making a catch. He either would unnecessarily leave his feet to catch the ball, or he will catch the ball, attempt to make a move, and fall on his face.

I'm hoping flexibility and balance will be improved this season (sounds like it could be?). If so, he could in line for a nice season, but we will see.

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13 hours ago, Sugashane said:

Sure, it would be cool to have a TE who could take a 70 yarder to the house, but I'd be happy with an all-around TE who is a match up problem.

I don't think Shaheen is your guy for that but he's more than capable of being a match up problem based on his combination of size and speed.

Right now I think the biggest issue as far as believing he's more than "just a guy" is the lack of NFL data we have to analyze so the fall back is his college scouting report and videos.  The reason I've posted that is to refute those who say he's too slow when he's actually not and that he was over drafted.

Running a 4.78/40 isn't exactly slow for a 275-280 lb man.  If he played DE he'd be considered pretty fast and he's the size of a DE or a big OLB similar to Aaron Lynch.  If he as seen as the third best TE in his draft then he was taken about where is was ranked to go.  Howard, Engram, and Njoku all went in round one in picks from 19 to 29.  Shaheen was the fourth TE taken and I also don't believe he would have lasted another round.

Pace knew he was drafting a kid with huge upside but one who was also a player who'd need to be developed.  He got little to none of that under Fox and next to none last season having missed preseason and almost the entire regular season with an injury.  When he did return he still wasn't 100% physically or mentally so even after two seasons we don't have a whole to go on yet he has made a few nice plays and scored 4 TDs.

I can only take it as good news that he's dropping some weight.  The Bears have him listed at 270lbs now so he's lighter than the 278lbs he weighed as a rookie and it might pay to have him drop a little more now that his primary position will be the "F" TE role.  No doubt he needs to avoid more injuries and I think if he can we'll see a much better version of him in 2019 than we have in the past.

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For Chicago Bears' Shaheen, it's all about being healthy

By Hub Arkush
harkush@profootballweekly
Updated 5/30/2019 8:51 PM

 

AR-190539843.jpg&updated=201905302051&Ma                                                                                                                                                                                       

Chicago Bears tight end Adam Shaheen (87) walks off the field after an injury against the Denver Broncos during the first half of a preseason NFL football game, Saturday, Aug. 18, 2018, in Denver.

 

Visiting with Bears tight end Adam Shaheen, one gets a sense of a young man who feels like in some ways he just can't catch a break.

Not from the Bears, media or fans, but from the football gods that seem to decide arbitrarily who gets hurt and who gets to stay healthy.

After an up-and-down rookie campaign in which Shaheen did well occasionally, but predictably appeared less than ready for prime time while trying to make the huge leap from the depths of FCS college football to the NFL, he felt a great off-season of work had him poised to break through in 2018.

"I mean it (stinks) because I was doing well rookie year," Shaheen said, "everything was what it was with the previous coaches.

"We weren't winning a lot and then coming in last year I had a good training camp, good preseason, and then it hurts to get hurt in a preseason game and then come back and play on one foot really for the last, for whatever it ended up being.

"It was a bummer, but even saying that my injuries have been not like normal, they haven't been like a pulled hammy or an ACL or anything like that. It's been some things that the doctors haven't seen in years."

Is he ready now to be a complete receiving and blocking tight end in Year 3 with the Bears? He says, "I think, my thing, everybody knows when I'm healthy, I'm fine. It's about being healthy, so that's my goal."

Kevin Gilbride, Shaheen's position coach, seems to agree.

"He was in a great place. He had all last spring healthy. Summer break healthy, training camp, he was right where we wanted him to be as far as his development.

"Then he got hurt and when he came back he still was hurt.

"He wasn't injured, but he couldn't get his body into those positions he needed to get himself into as far as his injury."

On Wednesday at OTAs, Shaheen was one of the stars of the day, with a couple of special catches and moving remarkably well for a man of his significant size.

Ah, the size. Every bit of 6-feet-7, 265 pounds. The Bears believed they might have unearthed a rare gem when they selected him with the 45th pick in the 2017 draft.

But this off-season, Shaheen decided to leave nothing to chance and added martial arts to his workout regimen in the hopes of improving his balance, flexibility and perhaps drop just a few pounds.

"I lost a little weight, did some things this off-season like got into a bunch of Muay Thai and Jiu Jitsu, as well as the lifting stuff to get in better shape as well as doing stuff, a lot more 'pre-hab' stuff."

Edited by soulman
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1 hour ago, soulman said:

I don't think Shaheen is your guy for that but he's more than capable of being a match up problem based on his combination of size and speed.

Right now I think the biggest issue as far as believing he's more than "just a guy" is the lack of NFL data we have to analyze so the fall back is his college scouting report and videos.  The reason I've posted that is to refute those who say he's too slow when he's actually not and that he was over drafted.

Running a 4.78/40 isn't exactly slow for a 275-280 lb man.  If he played DE he'd be considered pretty fast and he's the size of a DE or a big OLB similar to Aaron Lynch.  If he as seen as the third best TE in his draft then he was taken about where is was ranked to go.  Howard, Engram, and Njoku all went in round one in picks from 19 to 29.  Shaheen was the fourth TE taken and I also don't believe he would have lasted another round.

Pace knew he was drafting a kid with huge upside but one who was also a player who'd need to be developed.  He got little to none of that under Fox and next to none last season having missed preseason and almost the entire regular season with an injury.  When he did return he still wasn't 100% physically or mentally so even after two seasons we don't have a whole to go on yet he has made a few nice plays and scored 4 TDs.

I can only take it as good news that he's dropping some weight.  The Bears have him listed at 270lbs now so he's lighter than the 278lbs he weighed as a rookie and it might pay to have him drop a little more now that his primary position will be the "F" TE role.  No doubt he needs to avoid more injuries and I think if he can we'll see a much better version of him in 2019 than we have in the past.

Right, he is a match up issue, but that was my point, he isn't a Vernon Davis, Engram or Vant level speedster. But he has the speed to get behind LBs and the size to go over DBs.

He was a D-II prospect, Pace seems to clearly look for guys that are able to be studs long-term, rather than just immediate upgrades. Otherwise it seems Mahomes and Watson would clearly have been the better options over Tru as they had so much more experience. Pace went with what he thought was upside for the entirety of his career, not who was most pro ready.

He needed to drop weight IMO. I said during the combine he looked a bit doughy, and I stand by it. Not like fat Eddy Lacy or anything, but definitely not in pro-ready shape. He seems to have gotten in better shape but I'd imagine his conditioning took a serious hit while his ankle was jacked up. Hopefully he stays healthy and starts being a reliable option for Tru.

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Quote

... and then come back and play on one foot really for the last, for whatever it ended up being.

That make anyone feel better?  I think it should. 

I think fans have been way too hard on him at this juncture. Not saying he is a stud, but people talk like he is already a bust.  I think that is really unfair.  Maybe it is Kevin White hangover.  

I’m not sold on fight training as being some special thing. That can mean anything.  Losing 7 lbs when you are 270+ also isn’t that impressive. I can go up and down 7 lbs. in a few weeks for no reason and I am not nearly that big.  Guys that big can lose 10 lbs water weight on a hot day doing nothing. 

Maybe it’s like Nichols.  Just trying to be leaner not smaller.  Losing 7 lbs of fat isn’t nothing.

 

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He needs to stay healthy first and foremost.  He's also like our 10th option in the passing game now.  His career he has 17 receptions and 4 TDs(If I'm wrong on that let me know)  You expect 17 receptions in 3 or 4 games not 2 years.  I'm rooting for him, but I'm not expecting much either.  

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5 hours ago, Sugashane said:

Right, he is a match up issue, but that was my point, he isn't a Vernon Davis, Engram or Vant level speedster. But he has the speed to get behind LBs and the size to go over DBs.

He was a D-II prospect, Pace seems to clearly look for guys that are able to be studs long-term, rather than just immediate upgrades. Otherwise it seems Mahomes and Watson would clearly have been the better options over Tru as they had so much more experience. Pace went with what he thought was upside for the entirety of his career, not who was most pro ready.

He needed to drop weight IMO. I said during the combine he looked a bit doughy, and I stand by it. Not like fat Eddy Lacy or anything, but definitely not in pro-ready shape. He seems to have gotten in better shape but I'd imagine his conditioning took a serious hit while his ankle was jacked up. Hopefully he stays healthy and starts being a reliable option for Tru.

I think his overall size and weight may be what's behind some of his injuries.  Maybe his musculature hasn't caught up with his size yet.

He came to college as a 205 lb BB player then added enough weight as a sophomore to switch to football playing TE at 240 lbs.  Then he added another 35-40 lbs more chowing down on Chipotle burritos which is not how most players in a top Div. I program would be allowed to do it but I seriously doubt Ashland has a training staff like a top SEC or Big Ten school.  So IMHO he may have added far more weight incorrectly and too quickly than his still developing body could easily handle.  But with so much natural athletic ability he could compensate for it at a Div. II school and still dominate against that level of competition.  That's not gonna work as well against NFL competition.

Just because he has the frame to carry that much weight doesn't make it his ideal weight.  If Nagy's plan is to keep him at the "F" position using him almost solely as a receiver I'd prefer Shaheen play even lighter.  Closer to 260lbs which could mean shedding another 10 lbs.  Lifting to build strength and using martial arts to overcome some of his awkwardness should also help but if he really hopes to become another "Gronk" IMHO he should be playing at 265 lbs or less.  I can only help him in the long run and hopefully extend his productive career.

He can still be a force as a blocker when needed since for a TE that's as much about technique as size and it's much easier to find "Y" type TEs who can block than TEs with Shaheen's receiving abilities.  Time for him to come to camp as a "lean, mean, fighting machine".

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1 hour ago, soulman said:

I think his overall size and weight may be what's behind some of his injuries.  Maybe his musculature hasn't caught up with his size yet.

He came to college as a 205 lb BB player then added enough weight as a sophomore to switch to football playing TE at 240 lbs.  Then he added another 35-40 lbs more chowing down on Chipotle burritos which is not how most players in a top Div. I program would be allowed to do it but I seriously doubt Ashland has a training staff like a top SEC or Big Ten school.  So IMHO he may have added far more weight incorrectly and too quickly than his still developing body could easily handle.  But with so much natural athletic ability he could compensate for it at a Div. II school and still dominate against that level of competition.  That's not gonna work as well against NFL competition.

Just because he has the frame to carry that much weight doesn't make it his ideal weight.  If Nagy's plan is to keep him at the "F" position using him almost solely as a receiver I'd prefer Shaheen play even lighter.  Closer to 260lbs which could mean shedding another 10 lbs.  Lifting to build strength and using martial arts to overcome some of his awkwardness should also help but if he really hopes to become another "Gronk" IMHO he should be playing at 265 lbs or less.  I can only help him in the long run and hopefully extend his productive career.

He can still be a force as a blocker when needed since for a TE that's as much about technique as size and it's much easier to find "Y" type TEs who can block than TEs with Shaheen's receiving abilities.  Time for him to come to camp as a "lean, mean, fighting machine".

Exactly. I don't see why we couldn't bulk him up after he lost the excess fat. CornWash had a major transformation here, RRH has, Bullard seems to have added quality bulk and absolutely hass added strength, etc.

Edited by Sugashane
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Right now I'm just going to say that we should just chalk him up as a bust. He really lacks the fluidity to do anything after the catch if he even manages that much. You can't really blame the line of thinking of setting your rookie QB with a nice big target for third downs and goal line situations by spending a 2nd round pick but Shaheen hasn't shown me anything that he can be even an average starting TE. If he surprises us that would be excellent, but I think it would be best to take the loss and move forward.

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9 hours ago, soulman said:

I think his overall size and weight may be what's behind some of his injuries.  Maybe his musculature hasn't caught up with his size yet.

He came to college as a 205 lb BB player then added enough weight as a sophomore to switch to football playing TE at 240 lbs.  Then he added another 35-40 lbs more chowing down on Chipotle burritos which is not how most players in a top Div. I program would be allowed to do it but I seriously doubt Ashland has a training staff like a top SEC or Big Ten school.  So IMHO he may have added far more weight incorrectly and too quickly than his still developing body could easily handle.  But with so much natural athletic ability he could compensate for it at a Div. II school and still dominate against that level of competition.  That's not gonna work as well against NFL competition.

Just because he has the frame to carry that much weight doesn't make it his ideal weight.  If Nagy's plan is to keep him at the "F" position using him almost solely as a receiver I'd prefer Shaheen play even lighter.  Closer to 260lbs which could mean shedding another 10 lbs.  Lifting to build strength and using martial arts to overcome some of his awkwardness should also help but if he really hopes to become another "Gronk" IMHO he should be playing at 265 lbs or less.  I can only help him in the long run and hopefully extend his productive career.

He can still be a force as a blocker when needed since for a TE that's as much about technique as size and it's much easier to find "Y" type TEs who can block than TEs with Shaheen's receiving abilities.  Time for him to come to camp as a "lean, mean, fighting machine".

Good points. 

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11 hours ago, BACK2MACKSACK said:

Right now I'm just going to say that we should just chalk him up as a bust. He really lacks the fluidity to do anything after the catch if he even manages that much. You can't really blame the line of thinking of setting your rookie QB with a nice big target for third downs and goal line situations by spending a 2nd round pick but Shaheen hasn't shown me anything that he can be even an average starting TE. If he surprises us that would be excellent, but I think it would be best to take the loss and move forward.

Not sure how he could have shown any of us much so far other than he's a great red zone target.

Fox barely played him at all.  In 2017 he had only 7 starts yet caught 12 of 14 passes that were thrown to him and scored 3 tds.

In 2018 due to his foot injury he started only 4 games yet caught 5 of 6 passes and scored 1 TD.

He wasn't 100% healthy even when he returned last season yet over two seasons he's scored on roughly 25% of his catches and also shown that he's a competent blocker.  I can more easily except concerns about his injuries than I can his ability.  When given a shot at playing he's produced pretty well.

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On 6/2/2019 at 4:47 PM, dll2000 said:

That make anyone feel better?  I think it should. 

I think fans have been way too hard on him at this juncture. Not saying he is a stud, but people talk like he is already a bust.  I think that is really unfair.  Maybe it is Kevin White hangover.  

I think it's all about Bears' fans, in general, becoming super impatient. Remember people ripping on Massie? Saying Howard was "slow"? A lot of folks have kind of adopted a "win the Super Bowl YESTERDAY!" mentality. 

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