Joniak's Journal: Bears WR Kevin White Healing While Learning From Sidelines
By Jeff Joniak--
(CBS) -- The Rams (4-4) host the Bears (3-5) on Sunday at noon. Here are my thoughts heading into the game.
First impression
It was good to see rookie wide receiver Kevin White in the Bears' locker room this week. You will love this kid. His attitude is tremendous, his manner polite and his enthusiasm infectious.
Successful surgery to repair a stress fracture in his left tibia leaves him on the reserve physically-unable-to-perform list, but it hasn't derailed his season completely. It's all classroom work and tape study right now. He's visualizing his role in Adam Gases' offense, while learning from veterans on both sides of the ball how to adjust to the NFL.
White's locker is next to outside linebacker Sam Acho, so the two have developed a friendship. The 6-foot-3, 217-pound White was the seventh pick in the 2015 draft and comes with an explosive, dynamic skill set and ideal measurements and speed to be an impact receiver. I don't know if he will play this season or start fresh in 2016, but when he does, my first impression is that his impact projects to be powerful.
Second thought
There's nothing easy for a veteran who already owns a Super Bowl ring to start a season on the practice squad. Just ask wide receiver Deonte Thompson, who spent the last seven weeks on the Bears practice squad after being waived off Buffalo's injured reserve list with a foot injury in early September.
"It was a tough and humbling at the same time," Thompson said. "It's hard. I'm not going to lie. It's not easy at all. You just have to come here every day and just find something to get better at."
Undrafted out of University of Florida in 2012, Thompson invested the bulk of his first three seasons in Baltimore, where the Ravens won the title in his rookie season. He played six games. Coming out of Florida, he timed in the 4.25-4.33 range in his 40-yard dash.
Thompson can move. He also has kick return ability. He's bursting with confidence when asked what he thinks he can bring to the Bears' offense.
"Big play," Thompson said. "A lot of big plays coming, so be ready because I have a knack for big plays."
Thompson's longest catches have been 33 and 25 yards for the Ravens, and he's yet to score an NFL touchdown, but he's had 49- and 47-yard kickoff returns in which his speed is an asset.
I'll have more on Thompson's road to the Bears on Sunday from St. Louis in WBBM's "Countdown To Kickoff" in the audio version of Joniak's Journal, airing in the second hour of the pregame show.
Third degree
I don't know what the level of concern is for receiver Alshon Jeffrey's availability Sunday in St. Louis, but his third muscle injury of the season is worrisome. He battled a left calf and left hamstring injury earlier this season and injured his groin.
It knocked him out of Thursday's practice on a short week after another impactful performance in San Diego on Monday night. Maybe it's more precaution than anything, given the short week. His absence would be a significant blow to Gase's game plan against what the Bears offensive coordinator called arguably the best or second-best defense they've played this season.
The Rams are a difficult matchup, with a fierce front four and pressure packages that create significant and persistent pressure against both the run and the pass. Rams cornerbacks Janoris Jenkins and Trumaine Johnson are physical and have combined to break up 18 passes this season, while allowing just two touchdowns.
Fourth-and-short
One more point on Deonte Thompson: He's the third Belle Glade, Fla. product on the Bears' roster, joining outside linebacker Pernell McPhee and veteran running back Antone Smith.
I've written at length about that southwest section of Florida, which has produced a lengthy list of NFL players. It's crazy. It's not a large area, but if not for football, many of these talented athletes may never get out of what's a rough, crime-ridden and economically challenged environment.
As a kid, Thompson grew up in the same apartment building on separate floors as Carolina receiver Kelvin Benjamin and Cleveland's Travis Benjamin. (They aren't related.)
Jeff Joniak is the play-by-play announcer for the Bears broadcasts on WBBM Newsradio 780. Follow him on Twitter @JeffJoniak.
