Bears sign All-Pro special teamer Jalen Reeves-Maybin |
Dustin Riese
· · 5 hours ago
Times are good in Chicago right now as the Bears secured another late-second win to pick up their seventh win in their last eight. In the process, Chicago has improved to 7-3 on the season and is in sole possession of the NFC North, a position they haven't held since 2018. Along with that comes the No. 3 overall seed in the NFC playoff picture as the Bears are riding high at the moment.
Despite that, this is a team that still has plenty of flaws, and you could make the case that they haven't even played their best ball of the season. That is scary to think about, as the Bears are finding new ways to win every week and, for the first time in forever, are starting to believe they can win rather than hoping they can. One of the flaws for this team has been their special teams struggles, as the Bears rank near the bottom of the league in Special teams. A lot of that has to do with the struggles of Cairo Santos, but Special Teams is more than just the kicking aspect, as their Special Teams coverage unit has been less than appealing. You saw that again during the Vikings game on Sunday as Myles Price had several big returns in the game, including a 42-yard punt return to set up the Vikings' first touchdown of the game. Chicago is going to have to clean that up if they want to make a deep playoff run, as one bad special teams play could decide this team's fate. Knowing that, Ryan Poles continues to do his homework on available players and made yet another under-the-radar pickup, as Special Teams ace Jalen Reeves-Maybin has reached a contract for the remainder of the season. Granted, this is a practice squad-only signing for the time being. Don't be surprised to see Maybin on the active roster by the weekend, as he will at the very least give the Bears a massive special-teams boost. A linebacker by trade, Maybin has been one of the best special teams players in the game for a while and has plenty of history with Ben Johnson during his time with the Lions. Johnson not only got to see him up close on Special Teams during games, but, given his experience as a linebacker, he also had to go up against him at practice, even if it was for minimal reps. Maybin may not be part of the Bears' offense, but their time together in Detroit at the very least gives Johnson some insight, as he knows exactly the type of player he is and what he brings to the table. You also have the Chicago Bears connection, as Maybin was listed as a potential free agent target this offseason and is now officially landing in the Windy City. While not a household name, Maybin was always seen as a special-teams ace and one who would make anyone's special-teams unit better. That is an area the Bears have struggled with in the past, which is why he was mentioned as a possible late addition for this team. It may take a bit for Maybin to get acclimated to the Dennis Allen defense and how he operates, but don't put it past Chicago to add him to their roster sooner rather than later, as more than just a special-teams player. Along with the secondary, linebacker depth is an issue for the Bears at the moment, especially with T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds now dealing with injuries of their own. Maybin would be the perfect depth addition to fill in as needed, while also bringing with him his all-pro special teams ability. Give credit where credit is due, and the Poles deserve a ton of credit not only for this find but also for adding CJ Gardner-Johnson less than a month ago. Gone are the days of him making surprise moves that don't tend to work out in the Bears' favor, and in are the moves made to improve this roster. This is a move that improves this roster and should help the Bears continue their rise in the NFC.
