Chicago Bears Sophomore Series; Part IV

The safety position for the Bears has been a carousel for as long as I can remember. In recent years the team has looked to the draft to try and solve this issue, taking flyers on various safeties in the mid to late rounds. None of these picks have been able to really stick with the team and become effective members of the secondary. The Bears are hopeful that 2014 5th round pick Brock Vereen won't become the next Chris Conte.

Sophomore Series:
S, Brock Vereen, Minnesota, 4th round 131st overall in 2014

2014 Stats: 16 GP, 9 Ast, 30 Solo, 1 Pass D, 1 Int

Rookie Season Recap:
Entering his rookie season Vereen, much like the rest of the rookie class, had a huge opportunity to make an impact on Chicago's defence. Getting many reps at training camp filling in for the injured Chris Conte, it looked as though Vereen would have a dream opportunity to show his stuff for the Bears. With all the exposure however, Vereen didn't perform at a high enough level last season to allow the new management team to overlook the safety position. With the signing of veteran safety Antrel Rolle and more importantly drafting of highly thought of safety Adrian Amos at the draft, this training camp will prove more difficult for Vereen to see snaps with the first team.

Sophomore Season Outlook:
In the Bears preseason opener against the Miami Dolphins, sophomores Will Sutton and Ego Ferguson looked great, unfortunately the same cannot be said about Brock Vereen. Poor coverage and weak tackling on multiple occasions during the game allowed the sophomore safety to provide Bears fans with terrifying flashbacks to last seasons defence. As early as last week it was announced that Adrian Amos would be getting the start at safety in the Bears preseason contest against the Indianapolis Colts this Saturday, Vereen may not have much of a sophomore season to look out for. Hopefully for him, he will get another chance after Amos comes out of the game along with the first team, and can show that the first preseason game was not a sign of things to come.

Closing Outlook:
With increased competition at safety, and the secondary in general, Brock Vereen has perhaps the biggest uphill climb out of all the Bears sophomore class to stick on this new look defence. Adrian Amos' performance on Saturday may dictate a lot in terms of Vereens future with the team. If Amos shines and shows he is clearly a better option for depth in the secondary, will Brock Vereen find himself joining his former teammates as a member of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015?


Next up: RB Ka'Deem Carey

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References;
Picture sourced from: http://www.signalscv.com/archives/128051/