I apologize I posted the wrong article. Chism is one of the players to watch in Training Camp and Preseason. Can he justify the praise when pads are in Training Camp and Preseason? I continue to believe his only possibility is the Slater role.
I agree that he'll probably need to show value on special teams to make the roster as a UDFA, but the Slater role is
solely for ST value, and I don't think that's Chism. If they keep him it will be because of his perceived future value in the slot. Your typical ST ace (Slater aside) has some high-end physical traits to leverage, and Chism doesn't seem to have that. That is, WRs on STs are in positions like gunner which require strait-line speed.
Chism is interesting in combination with Pop because of the potential for matchup problems. Most teams have a "quick" cover corner who specializes in covering the quick start-stop guys like Pop and Chism in the slot. But they rarely have 2. Generally speaking, they also have a "big" corner and their #1 CB who play outside. Pop and Chism should be able to make hay if they draw a big CB or a run of the mill #2.
Picture a 3 WR set with Diggs outside on one side, with Pop and Chism on the other. Diggs draws the top corner, and the quick corner will cover whichever of Pop or Chism is in the slot. The #2 corner and/or big corner isn't likely skilled at covering quick short area guys, so whichever of Pop/Chism is on the outside should be nearly automatic to pick up 5-7 yards, whether one is iso'd in a wide split or they're clustered and playing off each other with picks and rubs. Send Henderson on a flare to that side to hopefully catch the cover LB up in the traffic, and there's real potential.
I think that's a big part of why we were hearing that the staff was testing Chism on the outside. I didn't hear it, but I suspect they were also testing Pop out there a bit.
