Bears secret weapon

[fleet]

They have been stashing this guy all last year, fattening him up to play DE. Now up to 285 at 6'6

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Mention the name Roy Robertson-Harris to most casual Chicago Bears fans and they will not know who he is or what position he plays.

Robertson-Harris joined the team as an undrafted free agent last offseason and appeared in the first three preseason games before he was placed on the illness/non-football injury list, effectively ending his rookie season.

Chicago was able to stash away the former UTEP standout and he appears to be well on his way to moving from outside linebacker to defensive end.

Robertson-Harris is listed on the team's official roster at 268 pounds, but the tweet above says he is now at 285 pounds. Pegged as a pass-rushing outside linebacker coming out of college, there is a chance the young defender makes the move to defensive end this season. Another clue that he will be making the switch is he went from No. 47 to No. 74. Numbers in the 70s are typically reserved for offensive and defensive linemen.

In four years as a 4-3 defensive end at UTEP, Robertson-Harris recorded 134 total tackles, 23 tackles for loss, 8.5 sacks and three forced fumbles. Prior to the 2016 draft, NFL.com had him pegged as a fifth-round pick. "Robertson-­Harris will step onto the field at his first NFL camp looking like a dude," wrote NFL.com's Lance Zierlein. "He has the desired length, power and athleticism to play on the edge and it will be interesting to see if teams view him as a defensive end or a stand­up player. If Robertson-­Harris can get coached up to improve his hands and pass-rush talent, he has the athleticism and talent to become an NFL starter rather than just an athlete with occasional flashes on tape."

Considering the scouting report from Zierlein it sounds like Robertson-Harris is better suited to play outside linebacker, but his added weight this offseason means the Bears appear to like him more as a 5-technique defensive end.

If he is to make the move to defensive end, he will need to prove he can manage two gaps against the run and will need to improve his hand usage in order to be effective against the run.

Robertson-Harris has the explosiveness and size to be an effective defender in the NFL and the Bears may just have a secret weapon on their hands in 2017.

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http://www.cbssports.com/nfl/news/bears-could-have-secret-weapon-in-roy-robertson-harris/

[fleet]

http://beargoggleson.com/2016/08/31/chicago-bears-redshirt-fan-favorite-roy-robertson-harris/

From last year:

Chicago Bears ‘Redshirt’ Fan Favorite OLB Roy Robertson-Harris
by Bill Zimmerman8 months agoFollow @ZimmermanSXM

The Chicago Bears thought they found a gem in Roy Robertson-Harris. But after Tuesday’s moves, we won’t find out if that’s true until 2017.

When the Chicago Bears announced their undrafted rookie class, one of the names that stood out was Roy Robertson-Harris. Robertson-Harris was a physical specimen standing 6-7 and weighing in at 255. Harris is an athletic freak for his size. The Bears brought him in for two separate pre-draft workouts and were considering taking him in the late rounds of the draft.


The draft came and went, but the Bears quickly picked up the phone and inked Robertson-Harris to a contract. Chicago was hopeful that he could surprise some people and land a spot on the 53-man roster in September.


Robertson-Harris’ size and athleticism quickly made him a fan favorite. Fans were talking him up like he was Lawrence Taylor. At the same time expectations should have been a little more modest considering he was an undrafted free agent.

When rosters were cut to 75 players, some were surprised to find out that Robertson-Harris was on the cutting block. But upon further examination, he wasn’t. The Bears placed him on the illness/non-football injury list. He has been battling some sort of illness on and off during camp. The Bears have been very vague as to what the illness is.

Robertson-Harris suited up and showed some promise in week three against the Kansas City Chiefs making his presence felt with a TFL. Unfortunately, due to the illiness, he hasn’t been able to show enough moving forward but the Bears know they still might have a diamond in the rough.

Placing Robertson-Harris is a way of basically ‘redshirting’ him until 2017. Robertson-Harris isn’t eligible to come off the NFLI list until week six and at that point, even if the Bears decide to release him, it’s hard to believe that a team would pick him up and guarantee him a spot on their 53-man roster. That is a big leap for a team to make for someone who has barely played football at the NFL level. If the Bears release him, he should easily clear waivers and find himself on the Bears’ practice squad.

Bears fans can relax, their undrafted gem still might be making an impact for Chicago on Sundays. It just won’t be until 2017. Ryan Pace has wisely kicked the can on Robertson-Harris and the outside linebacker will have every opportunity to make the roster next season.

Funny he is a fan favorite. Never heard of him.

I just realized this should be merged with Undrafted Free Agents thread. sorry. Merge.

[Susan]

Wonder if he plays Hicks' position or what.

[RedBulls23]

Interesting.

That's a big dude that's for sure. Hopefully this works out.

[molepharmer]

Yesterday's on-line Tribune...

http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/columnists/ct-roy-robertson-harris-heat-illness-biggs-spt-0528-20170527-column.html

Bears could have diamond in the rough in defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris

Opportunities for undrafted free agents can prove fleeting. One moment they have a chance to show what they can do, and the next they're handed an airline ticket home.

The Bears saw enough promise to keep Roy Robertson-Harris around all last season, even though a serious heat-related illness he suffered in July before reporting to training camp wound up sidelining him for the entire season.

Now Robertson-Harris is trying to adjust to a new position. He moved from outside linebacker to defensive end in December, when all he could do was work out in the weight room and attend meetings.

The former UTEP Miner came in at 6-foot-7, 265 pounds last year, and a season spent lifting weights has filled out his frame to a rock-solid 285, too big to be an outside linebacker. He played on the line in college, so it's not a completely new position with OTAs underway and minicamp a little more than two weeks away.....(more at link)

[fleet]

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[Axxo]

You definitely called this one

[RedBulls23]

Read on Twitter

this defense could be.... really damn good this year.

Will be interesting to see what happens once the season starts.

[molepharmer]

One of the 10 thoughts from the game (B Biggs - http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-10-thoughts-bears-offense-preseason-biggs-20170820-story.html )

8. It was a nice ending to the week for defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris. He was dinged in practice on Monday, the final one in Bourbonnais, but cleared to return in time for Thursday’s practice and then given a shot to play with the reserves. He didn’t disappoint with two sacks. Remember, it was some pass-rushing action in preseason last summer that opened some eyes for him when he was playing outside linebacker.

“It was a good little way to come back after a year off and I gotta keep grinding,” Robertson-Harris said. “It’s only preseason. I didn’t really feel good coming into the game with a short week but coach said I was going to play. I had to make sure I knew what I was doing coming on to the field. I watched my film and just studied my butt off. It felt good to get out there and make some plays. I am nowhere near where I want to be at but it’s a good start.”

I’d expect Robertson-Harris to play a lot in the fourth preseason game. The Bears were down two ends here with Akiem Hicks and Mitch Unrein sidelined and I’m guessing they monitored reps for Jaye Howard considering his hip issue. So Robertson-Harris had his number called and made some plays.

[RedBulls23]

Really can't wait for regular season to start so we can see this defense and get a real feel for it.

[RedBulls23]

2 sacks last week, and a block punt this week. He's making noise, that's for sure.