Jeff Dickerson, ESPN Staff Writer 6y

Taylor Gabriel eager to create mismatches in Matt Nagy's offense

Wide receiver Taylor Gabriel had no obvious ties to the Chicago Bears when he signed a four-year contract last week that contained $14 million in guaranteed money.

Gabriel, who spent time with the Cleveland Browns and Atlanta Falcons, never played for new Bears coach Matt Nagy or had any association with the offense that Nagy ran in Kansas City.

And when Gabriel visited Solider Field with the Falcons in Week 1 of the 2017 regular season, Bears quarterback Mitchell Trubisky -- now the club’s unquestioned starter at quarterback -- was stuck on the bench behind veteran Mike Glennon.

But Gabriel told reporters last week that he did plenty of homework on the Bears in advance of free agency.

“I had a few interests in free agency, but with the Bears, it was just Nagy’s offense, just his creativity and the things that he did when he was with the Chiefs,” Gabriel said. “I feel like for me it was a no-brainer, and coming from with Tyreek Hill and the things that [Nagy] did with him to move him around and get him open, it was a no-brainer for me.

“My friend, Charcandrick West, he plays with Kansas City, and he would talk about it all the time and how he loved it, the different schemes and just kind of how he was just a doctor at creating an offense and getting people open; so that was just one thing I got from him and just watching film. If you go on YouTube and look up Kansas City offense, you see different things they did and how Tyreek Hill got open and how he made those explosive plays, so that was one thing.”

Gabriel also used YouTube to scout Trubisky, whom the Bears drafted second overall in 2017.

“We played them last year, but we didn’t get to see him because the other quarterback was playing, but I got to talk to him a little bit after the game just to converse with him,” Gabriel said. “He just seemed like a very confident guy, very confident in himself and the things that he’s doing. I looked up a few of his highlights on YouTube as well, and the guy can sling it. When we signed the other day, the first thing I asked him was, ‘How’s your deep ball?’ I’m excited to be with him and excited to get in and play with him.”

Gabriel’s elite speed allowed him to stretch the field in Cleveland and Atlanta, where he averaged 17.3 yards per reception for the Browns in 2014 and 16.5 yards per catch for the Falcons in 2016.

Listed at 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds, Gabriel rejects the notion that, based on size, he’s only cut out to play slot receiver.

“I can play the slot, but with Kyle Shanahan’s offense, and the offense we had last year [in Atlanta, under coordinator Steve Sarkisian], we kind of rotated,” Gabriel said. “[I could’ve] been in the slot, outside, running back, even tight end at times to spread out in the middle.

“I guess the best way [to attack a defense] is to create mismatches, and that’s football. That’s Football 101. When you create those mismatches, you win. As long as we go out there as a unit and as a team and stay focused and dedicate ourselves to winning and getting back to the Super Bowl. That’s one thing I want to focus on.”

^ Back to Top ^