Trubisky’s Intangibles, Hicks Reflects, Bears Rookies Snubbed, and Other Bullets

The Chicago Bears made their acquisition of wide receiver Dontrelle Inman officially official on Thursday:

In a corresponding move to make room for Inman on the active roster, the Bears released linebacker Jonathan Anderson. The Bears added Anderson to the active roster in September when Jerrell Freeman was placed on injured reserve with his season-ending pectoral injury. Anderson played just 6.7 percent of defensive snaps and was a contributor elsewhere, appearing on 69.7 percent of special teams snaps.

In case you missed it, we took a shot at getting to know Inman earlier today.

  • Akiem Hicks still seems bothered by the trade that sent him from the New Orleans Saints to the New England Patriots back in 2015, writes Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. Hicks opened up about New Orleans, a place he was fond of and clearly didn’t want to leave, calling the breakup an “ugly situation” and describing his trade as “eerie” and “devastating.” From a Bears perspective, I suppose, all’s well that ends well.
  • (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)

  • The Saints miscalculation in an attempt to turn a 3-4 end into something he wasn’t paid dividends when GM Ryan Pace – who was on the Saints staff when Hicks was a third-round pick – made a play to bring him into Halas Hall. The fact that Hicks chose the Bears over the New England Patriots suggests Chicago picked up a keeper in Hicks.
  • Eddie Jackson won the NFC’s Defensive Player of the Week award after scoring two return situations, but Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune writes the rookie safety was quick to thank his teammates for putting him in a position to make the big plays. Not only is that an honorable move for a rookie to give props to the veterans in front of him, the play of the front seven has help aid the rise of the secondary. The Bears rank sixth in sacks and ninth in quarterback hits after seven games, which has helped ease the pressure off Jackson and the rest of the secondary.
  • But seriously, Jackson had an awesome week:
  • Adding a capable receiver reliable enough to be targeted 97 times by Philip Rivers in 2016 is a nifty mid-season addition, but Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times explains the Bears need more help to boost the offense. While Inman provides an upgrade at receiver, he’s not a cure-all. Further, there’s a level of difficulty to bringing in a player midseason and getting him acclimated with the playbook and team around him. While the Bears’ run-heavy attack has been effective, the team should seek balance moving forward if it intends to carry its fair share of the weight.
  • JJ Stankevitz of NBC Sports Chicago breaks down how Inman can help the Bears offense, which includes a scenario in which Kendall Wright is a beneficiary of the new guy’s presence. Wright has seen a decline in snaps since Trubisky took over, with Stankevitz pointing out much of his playing time coming in little-used three-receiver sets. Inman could provide a steadying hand on the outside, allowing Wright to play in the slot – a place more suitable for the 5-10 receiver.
  • Inman’s addition should also positively affect rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky, whose intangibles are changing the Bears according to Adam Jahns. Trubisky has shown accountability, a strong work ethic, and personality since arriving at Halas Hall, and his teammates seem to have taken notice. So while things have been lacking in the statistical department for Trubisky early in his career, it appears as if other parts of his game are compensating for those shortcomings. When everything comes together, we might get a chance to see something special.
  • Trubisky finds himself on a list of the top 25 rookies to have stood out in the first seven weeks, according to Bleacher Report’s NFL 1000 scouting staff. The Bears rookie quarterback, who has just three starts under his belt, is 17th … and the only Bears rookie in the top 25. That means reigning NFC Defensive Player of the Week Eddie Jackson and running back Tarik Cohen have been snubbed. Both rank highly among their respective positions, but haven’t done enough to merit mention as one of the 25 best rookies to stand out so far.
  • Three of the highest-graded safeties play in the NFC North, including a familiar face at No. 3:
  • written by

    Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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