Thread: Examining Evan Rodriguez.....

Inside the Bears




Bears TE Evan Rodriguez anxious to put past behind him

By Mark Potash on April 28, 2012 1:39 PM | 1 Comment | No TrackBacks



It's rarely a good sign when the first question to the GM about the player he just drafted is: ''Has he been charged with anything?''


Temple tight end Evan Rodriguez comes to the Bears with significant baggage. He was accused of felony assault at West Virginia after an alleged altercation with a female residence hall advisor. He transferred to Temple as a result of that incident. At Temple, he was arrested for disorderly conduct and also missed one game for breaking a team rule.


But the Bears say that extensive background research with trainers, coaches, former trainers and former coaches, and even with Rodriguez himself, have allayed fears about his character. Rodriguez said that's all in the past.


''We all make mistakes,'' the 6-1 1/2, 244-pound Rodriguez said. ''It's growing pains as long as you learn from your mistakes ... They believed in me. I'm just happy to get the opportunity. I'm not going to let them down.''



With his size and speed (4.56 in the 40), Rodriguez is a hybrid player with big-play ability. He had 35 receptions for 479 yards (13.7 yards per catch) and two touchdowns for Temple last season, including a 55-yard touchdown catch against Toledo.


''You can put me in any situation. I'm a coachable guy,'' Rodriguez said. ''The coaches tell me to do something and I'm going to do it, no questions asked.''

Bears general manager Phil Emery said Rodriguez will be used as a fullback and ''move'' tight end -- someone who can play inside and out, like the Colts' Dallas Clark or the Patriots' Aaron Hernandez.


''We needed somebody with enough blocking outside that he could force the defense to stay in base personnel. We really believe that Evan provides that for us,'' Emery said. ''He runs a 4.56 40. He definitely provides a stretch. When given the ball as a receiver he has had big plays. A great game to go back and watch if you haven't seen Evan is against the University of Maryland, where he had 50-plus yards after the catch. he had several of those this year.''


Rodriguez has been compared to Hernandez, the 6-1, 245-pound Patriots tight end who caught 79 passes for 910 yards and seven touchdowns with the Patriots last season.


Does Emery see him as a Hernandez type of player?

"Evan thinks he is. I'll tell you that,'' Emery said. ''When we brought him into the building I met with him and asked him, 'Who do you compare yourself with.' He said, 'Hernandez.' I said, 'OK, let's look that up.' So we got right into our system and he's I think 7/8 of an inch shorter. I think they're right at the same speed. He's the exact same weight. They're both East Coast guys. They both have some background to them. So there is some comparisons. We'll let him play first before we say he's as good as a pro. But yeah, there are comparisons."


Speaking of comparisons, Rodriguez is the first tight end the Bears have drafted in the fourth round since they took Oklahoma State's Alonzo Mayes -- who was the top tight end in that draft but slipped after testing positive for marijuana at the scouting combine.


The Bears were convinced Mayes would not be a problem and he wasn't. Unfortunately, though he wasn't as bad as feared off the field, he wasn't as good as expected on the field. Mayes was cut early in the 2000 season after making little impact.

Bears confident Rodriguez has matured

April, 28, 2012 Apr 28
1:48
PM CT



By Michael C. Wright | ESPNChicago.com




LAKE FOREST, Ill. -- Versatility and fit for the new scheme expected to be employed by new offensive coordinator Mike Tice trumped character red flags Saturday, when the Chicago Bears selected former Temple tight end Evan Rodriguez with their fourth-round pick (111th overall).

Bears general manager Phil Emery extolled Rodriguez’s potential as a “move tight end,” adding the new rookie’s off-the-field problems have come as the result of issues with “maturity, more than any single factor.”

[+] Enlarge
Rick Osentoski/US PresswireEvan Rodriguez caught seven touchdown passes in three seasons at Temple.



“I’m very glad to have drafted Evan Rodriguez, and have Evan become a Chicago Bear,” Emery said. “Right role, right fit for the player and team; we see Evan as a combination of a fullback and an F tight end (primarily a receiving tight end). As we analyzed our team needs, we really felt that we had a defined need with the system changes that coach Tice will bring in terms of having a vertical tight end, somebody that could challenge the inside of the defensive structure of our opponent.”

Upon taking the job as Chicago’s GM, Emery came away from his initial analysis of the roster and anticipated changes on offense that the Bears needed to add multiple weapons for quarterback Jay Cutler. Emery believes the acquisitions of Brandon Marshall, second-round pick Alshon Jeffery and Rodriguez accomplish that objective.

“We feel good about where we’re at in that process.”

Often compared to New England Patriots tight end Aaron Hernandez by people in the scouting community, Rodriguez (6-1 1/2, 239 pounds) flashes sufficient speed (4.56-second 40-yard dash) to stretch defenses, but the Bears feel they acquired even more in terms of a fit for what they want to do offensively.


At Temple, Rodriguez caught 69 passes for 871 yards and seven touchdowns in three seasons. Despite Rodriguez’s ability to play multiple positions, Emery said he’ll focus strictly on tight end with the Bears.

“I’m versatile; you can just put me in any situation,” Rodriguez said.

That’s precisely what the team plans to do. Although the Bears classify Rodriguez as a move tight end, what they found appealing was the fact he’s an efficient enough blocker to lead up on linebackers whenever those situations arise, giving them an ability to leave him on the field when they deploy base personnel. Emery explained that by doing that, it forces defenses to remain in their base sets “instead of bringing in nickel and sub package personnel and trying to match up with a straight receiving tight end.”

That, in turn, makes for a mismatch with the opponent trying to use linebackers to cover the speedy Rodriguez. That also explains, in part, why the Bears chose Rodriguez at 111 overall despite the availability of Orson Charles, who fits the mold of a Y tight end (primarily a base blocking player; a classic tight end so to speak).

In conducting background investigations on Rodriguez, the team put together a performance profile report in which “out of all the tight ends, this guy scores higher than anybody,” Emery said. “He's a nine out of 10."

But the GM acknowledged Rodriguez’s character concerns. Rodriguez started his college career at West Virginia in 2007, but transferred to Temple after he reportedly had a felony assault charge reduced to a misdemeanor disturbance and trespassing charge stemming from an alleged physical altercation with a female residence hall advisor. (Charged vs True Offense)

In 2009, Rodriguez was reportedly arrested for disorderly conduct, and in 2010, he was suspended for a game for breaking an unspecified team rule.

Despite Emery seeing “him play at least four times in the last two years,” the general manager deployed running backs coach Tim Spencer to Temple to work out Rodriguez. They also brought him in to Halas Hall to speak extensively about some of the character concerns, according to Emery.

Afterward, Tice followed up with a more extensive look at the tight end.

“Everybody in this building has spent quality time on him,” Emery said. “You never really know exactly who they are until they get into your building. What we felt very good about Evan is he’s a tough, physical guy. Some players you have to put your thumb on a little bit harder. I think Evan responds to really good, hard, old-fashioned coaching.

“To find this guy in the fourth round, is a good find for the Bears.”

I think what we have here is an East Coast kid who is Hispanic, has a little Latin machismo to him, and who probably grew up with a chip on his shoulder because he was a minority. JMHO. When you hear an evaluation that says he needs to be pushed on a little harder than some and needs strong coaching I believe that's where that comes from.

No doubt he'll get it in Chicago under Tice. He doesn't run a Boy Scout Camp. What I like most about him is that he is something in the way of a player that we don't currently have and typically never do. Could any of you seen JA drafting a Dallas Clark or an Aaron Hernandez type TE? Not me. I can't remember the last time we lined up with a true HBack or an "F" type "move TE" as I guess is the current terminology. Tice will make good use of this kid.

He's earned his shot. If they excluded all of the NFL players who've had an off the field incident - 4/5ths of the NFL would be different people. That said there comes a time when being stupid must end.

There's some tools to work with here. If he catches and blocks and helps keep the chains moving then good enough. Maybe we'll get 5 TD's a year outta the guy.

Originally Posted by motownbear

on draft day they say he doesnt know how to block and here it says he is a good blocker

so....which is it lol

one more thing does this put Spaeth on the chopping block or Clutts?

Maybe a misprint mo or a lack of an understanding that he's not an inline blocker who takes on OT. He's a downfield blocker out of the slot TE position. That he can do well.

I don't think he threatens either job. Rodriguez is a "move type" TE or as we used to call them when I was jus a little baby chile............an HBack. He's flanked out away from the backfield and the line. Clutts will still be a blocking FB and all Spaeth has to concern himself with is Andre Smith. He's the other blocking TE we have on the roster.

I would not be surprised if Spaeth is cut in favor of Andre Smith, who had a monster Preseason last year for us. Certainly, Smith would be cheaper to keep around if he's productive than would Spaeth. Spaeth essentially doesn't fit Tice's offensive philosophy and, as such, will probably be cut in favor of someone who is less expensive in Andre Smith.