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| Jordan Lynch making strides in Bears mini camp. Photo Credit: NBC San Diego |
As the Chicago Bears concluded their three day rookie mini-camp over the weekend, most of the watchful eyes in attendance were focused on quarterback turned running back Jordan Lynch. Changing positions is never easy, but the former Northern Illinois standout has done everything in his power to make the transition as seamless as possible.
By Gabe Salgado
During the three day practice Lynch showcased his speed and mobility. It didn’t take long for him to start picking up the running plays, and he looked like a natural catching passes out of the backfield. The only area of weakness thus far has been pass blocking.
Of course there are no pads, hitting or tackling allowed in the NFL during this time of year…… But hand placement, foot placement, and being in the right position are highly emphasized. Those are areas where Lynch needs improvement.
Bears running backs coach Skip Peete told the Chicago Sun-Times Sunday, “He’s never had to do it; he’s always been the guy throwing the ball. It’s obviously something he’s going to have to learn. We’re going to work on it every day. Right now, it’s primarily just technique work because you don’t have pads so you can’t physically do it.’’
How Lynch improves his technique will go a long way towards him landing a roster spot in September. In a league where hybrid defenses and analytical blitz packages have become the norm, pass protection and blitz pick-up are more important than ever. This will be a crucial part of Lynch’s ascension to NFL stardom.
With the evolution of the wide receiver and tight end positions, combined with the indoctrination of the college spread offense; the running back position has become a bigger fixture when it comes to protecting quarterbacks. And as recent history has showed us, Jay Cutler can use all the protection he can get.
Aside from clearing the physical and fundamental hurdles, Lynch must also wrap his mind around the fact that he is no longer the protectee (quarterback) and must now be the protector. It’s only May, but we all know that the acronym N.F.L. really means “Not For Long”.
Because of that Lynch needs to show improvement, development and progress over these next couple of months. Follow me on Twitter @GabeSalgado82