Slate clean for lineman
Bears are happy to give former Raider Leatherwood a fresh start
The belief Bears’ general manager Ryan Poles has in his organization’s ability to develop talent played a role in his decision to claim former Raiders’ first-round pick Alex Leatherwood off waivers this week.
“He’s a talented player and physically gifted for sure,” Poles said “Prototypical in his size and movement. I think we all believe in player development here.
“Forget (where he was picked in the draft). That’s over. … We’ll put him in the best position to succeed. We’ll give it everything we’ve got.”
Leatherwood didn’t arrive in Chicago until nearly midnight on Wednesday night, but was on the practice field on Thursday. He lined up at right tackle, though he is listed as both a tackle and guard on the team’s roster.
“Wherever he settles in, that’s what we’ll do,” Poles said. “I trust the coaches to have a process for that.”
After practice, Leatherwood preferred talking about his future with the Bears than his time with the Raiders.
“It’s a new opportunity,” he said. “I feel like what they have going on here is great. I’m excited to be a part of it.”
Quote of the day
Defensive lineman Cle Ferrell was discussing his friendship with Maxx Crosby when he revealed the nickname of a third member of their crew.
“We have a special relationship,” Ferrell said. “That’s been one of my best friends on the team since I came in. He’s salt. I’m pepper. Now Chandler (Jones) is Old Spice. I can’t leave the Hall of Famer out.”
Kicking it
Raiders’ running back Ameer Abdullah hopes to put his martial arts training on display often this season.
The veteran uses a low-kick touchdown celebration inspired by his favorite Tekken video game character, Eddy.
But Abdullah’s background in martial arts goes beyond just pushing buttons on a controller. He has practiced jiu-jitsu and Tai chi, recently adding kickboxing to his repertoire.
“I think it’s wonderful for your hips and core,” he said. “If you don’t want to do a thousand crunches, go outside and just throw like 25 to 50 sidekicks. Your obliques will be on fire. It keeps the pelvis flowing nice and the spine decompressed. That’s my Ted Talk.”
The 29-year-old appreciates the cerebral side of martial arts perhaps even more than the physical.
“Everything is a counter,” he said. “You’re never actually attacking, you’re just countering the momentum of what someone else is throwing. It’s helpful for life, but definitely football.”
Abdullah is playing for his fourth team as he enters his eighth season as part of a crowded running back room with five tailbacks and a fullback. While each has his own attributes, he sees the different skills each brings as the biggest strength of the group.
He also believes the attention to detail the team has displayed as a whole is what will help them reach expectations this year.
“I think we have a good roster, but so do the other 31 teams,” he said. “This is the National Football League. You have stars everywhere. You have speed everywhere. You have strength everywhere. There’s not much that separates every single team other than the one that won’t get bored with doing the right thing over and over and over. It can get monotonous, but those are the little things that make a good team.”
Abdullah hopes that works out, especially because he probably doesn’t have much of a future in competitive martial arts.
“I sparred with a kid two years ago who was like 17 and he kicked my butt,” he said. “We were on the ground and in 45 seconds I was ready to tap out because that’s a completely different endurance. But maybe one day.”
Practice squad moves
The Raiders added defensive back J.R. Reed and offensive lineman Vitaliy Gurman to the practice squad on Thursday.
Gurman had a solid training camp for the Chiefs after joining them as an undrafted free agent out of Toledo, but he was released this week. He can play tackle or guard.
Reed, a Georgia alum and former ALL-SEC first-team defensive back, has appeared in 16 NFL games with the Rams and Giants over the past two seasons. He was waived this week by the Broncos.
Offensive lineman Bamidele Olaseni was released from the practice squad on Thursday.