Chicago Bears: Javon Wims early fan favorite after good performance
At every Chicago Bears training camp there are certain players who become fan favorites. After the Hall of Fame game on Thursday, it appears as if Javon Wims is the guy.
At every camp, fans find a player who becomes their favorite. Usually, it’s a player who isn’t heralded. Either he got drafted late or not drafted at all. That player works hard during practices and has some success on the field. For the Chicago Bears this year, wide receiver Javon Wims seems to be the guy.
The Bears drafted the 6-foot-4, 220 pound Wims in the seventh round (224th overall). He is another University of Georgia product (along with Leonard Floyd, Roquan Smith, Marlon Brown and John Jenkins). He’s been having a pretty good training camp, and then went out and lead all receivers in the Hall of Fame game with seven catches for 89 yards.
That performance got people to talk about him. Now some are clamoring for him to get more playing time.
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The Bears will give Wims that playing time, but he still has a long way to go before making the team. There is a reason every team in the league passed him up for six rounds.
Sure, there have been late round draft picks who made it, but they are the exception, not the rule. Let’s not forget how much love Marquess Wilson got? Heck, some still believe Tanner Gentry can be one of the top wide receivers even though the only thing of significance he’s done was committing a personal foul.
Head coach Matt Nagy liked what he saw but he, too, talked about the improvement needed.
"“Javon is a kid who has excellent hands. He has phenomenal ball skills. And he showed that in college. Now, he’s a receiver who’s a good route runner. He can become better. And he knows that. And then when you get out on stage and you start getting some guys who are going to press you, how are you going to play against the press? I thought he did a good job.” — Nagy said via Dan Wiederer, Chicago Tribune"
Wims’ early success does warrant him some more playing time. He’ll get work with the three’s and then try the two’s. If he continues to do well, then the Bears have themselves a good problem on their hands — a plethora of wide receivers. That’s something they haven’t had ever.
It’s fun to see a longshot make the most of his chance. Maybe he makes the team and plays special teams. The Bears made a significant upgrade at wide receiver, however, and if an undrafted rookie free agent gets a lot of snaps on offense then the Bears are in trouble.
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Let’s hope the Bears don’t get into much trouble this season. They should have a good receivers’ unit so hopefully, that comes to fruition.