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http://www.chicagotribune.com/sports/football/bears/ct-spt-bears-taylor-gabriel-mike-furrey-20180602-story.html
Bears wide receivers coach Mike Furrey’s first impression of Taylor Gabriel was about what you would expect of a player nicknamed “Turbo.”
“He can run,” Furrey said. “He sure can run.”
But Furrey has more expectations than that for the player the Bears signed to a four-year, $26 million contract, with $14 million guaranteed, this offseason. He sees a “great opportunity” ahead for Gabriel in his fifth NFL season.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace called Gabriel “an explosive, electric player that you can use in a variety of ways” upon introducing the free-agent in March following two seasons each with the Browns and Falcons.
Playing alongside Falcons receivers Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu, Gabriel combined for 68 catches for 957 yards and seven touchdowns the last two seasons. He had nine catches for 171 yards in three playoff games on the 2016 Falcons’ run to the Super Bowl, though his production declined in 2017 when former Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan became the head coach of the 49ers.
Furrey wants to see the 27-year-old Gabriel use that experience to become the example for a receivers group that was boosted by free-agent addition Allen Robinson and second-round draft pick Anthony Miller and includes returnees Kevin White and Josh Bellamy. Furrey said becoming that leader can be a “huge transition in your career.”
“People are watching you now, so you can’t take things off, you can’t take plays off,” Furrey said. “You have to be the example. You have to set that bar for people. You have to push our room instead of being in the wagon of the room. We’re working on that. That’s a work in progress. He sees it. He knows it.”
While playing behind Jones for two seasons, Gabriel learned about the preparation it takes to be a top receiver. He’ll keep that in mind as he operates within a receiving corps he said should thrive off competition.
“The way (Jones) prepared and he came out to practice, it was unreal,” Gabriel said. “To be that type of high-caliber wide receiver, you don’t think he’d come out to practice and bust his butt every day. That was one thing I took into consideration and really consumed, going out there every day and being the best.”
When Gabriel was introduced at Halas Hall, he said one of the draws of joining the Bears was his expectations for new coach Matt Nagy’s offense. After the Bears’ third week of organized team activities, Gabriel started to get a feel for how the offense and quarterback Mitch Trubisky will operate.
He used the word “excited” about both.
“Just coming from Matt Ryan, that type of high-tier quarterback, and coming here, just to see the development of (Trubisky) and the growth and the leadership, it’s surprising,” Gabriel said. “It’s exciting to go out there and watch him go through his reads, not just stay locked into one receiver. I’m excited, man.”
Meanwhile, the Bears also are getting a better feel for Gabriel.
Nagy said that while Gabriel might have a label of “gadget” player because of his speed and his 5-foot-8, 165-pound size, the Bears expect more from him. And so far he has absorbed what they have thrown his way.
“He's able to do a lot of things we’ve done in the past, with jet motions and quick screens and some of the (run-pass option) stuff,” Nagy said. “But what I'm happy with … is he has taken to the teaching that we’re giving him. This isn’t something where he’s coming in and just trying to do his own thing at all. He’s coming in here, he’s listening to how we’re teaching and he’s trying to get better every day.”
Nagy was asked about using Gabriel and 5-foot-6 running back Tarik Cohen at the same time and said he’s ready to do what the situation dictates.
“I just think you put the best football players out there for that personnel group, for scheme, and for the play that we have,” Nagy said. “You can’t live in it. You can’t live with three huge receivers in there either, in my opinion. We like to be able to have some flexibility in what we do. What that does is to force the defense to change up now a little bit personnel wise.”
Furrey is eager to see how Gabriel’s role develops on and off the field.
“Once we get closer to training camp, and once he learns our system and knows exactly what we should do and be able to apply it to what he’s done in the past … I’m really intrigued to see how far he’ll go,” Furrey said. “I don’t think he’s at his ceiling yet, and I think that’s what’s interesting.”
ckane@chicagotribune.com
Bears wide receivers coach Mike Furrey’s first impression of Taylor Gabriel was about what you would expect of a player nicknamed “Turbo.”
“He can run,” Furrey said. “He sure can run.”
But Furrey has more expectations than that for the player the Bears signed to a four-year, $26 million contract, with $14 million guaranteed, this offseason. He sees a “great opportunity” ahead for Gabriel in his fifth NFL season.
Bears general manager Ryan Pace called Gabriel “an explosive, electric player that you can use in a variety of ways” upon introducing the free-agent in March following two seasons each with the Browns and Falcons.
Playing alongside Falcons receivers Julio Jones and Mohamed Sanu, Gabriel combined for 68 catches for 957 yards and seven touchdowns the last two seasons. He had nine catches for 171 yards in three playoff games on the 2016 Falcons’ run to the Super Bowl, though his production declined in 2017 when former Falcons offensive coordinator Kyle Shanahan became the head coach of the 49ers.
Furrey wants to see the 27-year-old Gabriel use that experience to become the example for a receivers group that was boosted by free-agent addition Allen Robinson and second-round draft pick Anthony Miller and includes returnees Kevin White and Josh Bellamy. Furrey said becoming that leader can be a “huge transition in your career.”
“People are watching you now, so you can’t take things off, you can’t take plays off,” Furrey said. “You have to be the example. You have to set that bar for people. You have to push our room instead of being in the wagon of the room. We’re working on that. That’s a work in progress. He sees it. He knows it.”
While playing behind Jones for two seasons, Gabriel learned about the preparation it takes to be a top receiver. He’ll keep that in mind as he operates within a receiving corps he said should thrive off competition.
“The way (Jones) prepared and he came out to practice, it was unreal,” Gabriel said. “To be that type of high-caliber wide receiver, you don’t think he’d come out to practice and bust his butt every day. That was one thing I took into consideration and really consumed, going out there every day and being the best.”
When Gabriel was introduced at Halas Hall, he said one of the draws of joining the Bears was his expectations for new coach Matt Nagy’s offense. After the Bears’ third week of organized team activities, Gabriel started to get a feel for how the offense and quarterback Mitch Trubisky will operate.
He used the word “excited” about both.
“Just coming from Matt Ryan, that type of high-tier quarterback, and coming here, just to see the development of (Trubisky) and the growth and the leadership, it’s surprising,” Gabriel said. “It’s exciting to go out there and watch him go through his reads, not just stay locked into one receiver. I’m excited, man.”
Meanwhile, the Bears also are getting a better feel for Gabriel.
Nagy said that while Gabriel might have a label of “gadget” player because of his speed and his 5-foot-8, 165-pound size, the Bears expect more from him. And so far he has absorbed what they have thrown his way.
“He's able to do a lot of things we’ve done in the past, with jet motions and quick screens and some of the (run-pass option) stuff,” Nagy said. “But what I'm happy with … is he has taken to the teaching that we’re giving him. This isn’t something where he’s coming in and just trying to do his own thing at all. He’s coming in here, he’s listening to how we’re teaching and he’s trying to get better every day.”
Nagy was asked about using Gabriel and 5-foot-6 running back Tarik Cohen at the same time and said he’s ready to do what the situation dictates.
“I just think you put the best football players out there for that personnel group, for scheme, and for the play that we have,” Nagy said. “You can’t live in it. You can’t live with three huge receivers in there either, in my opinion. We like to be able to have some flexibility in what we do. What that does is to force the defense to change up now a little bit personnel wise.”
Furrey is eager to see how Gabriel’s role develops on and off the field.
“Once we get closer to training camp, and once he learns our system and knows exactly what we should do and be able to apply it to what he’s done in the past … I’m really intrigued to see how far he’ll go,” Furrey said. “I don’t think he’s at his ceiling yet, and I think that’s what’s interesting.”
ckane@chicagotribune.com
