If you weren’t paying close attention to the NFL’s waiver wire at the end of preseason, you might have missed this move: the Minnesota Vikings choosing to part ways with former Iowa receiver Ihmir Smith-Marsette. On the surface, it would seem to be a head-scratcher on the part of the Vikings, as they waved the white flag on a fifth-round pick just one year into spending real draft capital on him.
However, even if the Vikings end up regretting the move, it makes sense as to why they made it. With Justin Jefferson, Adam Thielen and K.J. Osborn taking up most of the catches in Minneapolis, there just wasn’t space for Smith-Marsette to see any meaningful time on Minnesota’s roster.
Will Marsette follow the footsteps of another former Hawkeyes player, Dane Belton, and have success in the NFL?
Happy Birthday to Ihmir Smith-Marsette! (@_ihmirr_ ) Have a great day, Go Hawks! | #LegacyHawk pic.twitter.com/bCV3N5I0D3
— Hawkeye Legacy (@LegacyHawks) August 29, 2022
From The Vikings To Bears
The Vikings have a few holes, but the wide receiver isn’t one of them, and a second-year wideout who won’t get a ton of time on the field doesn’t really fit their plans as long as their best wideouts are healthy.
Still, in Chicago, the situation is different. The Bears are in a full rebuild, and they gladly claimed Smith-Marsette off waivers when the Vikings decided to cut him.
Bears fans certainly remember Smith-Marsette, as he had his best game as a professional at Soldier Field last year with the Vikings. In that game, the former Hawkeye snagged three passes for 103 yards and his first NFL touchdown, helping Minnesota earn a 31-17 win.
So, what can Smith-Marsette bring to his new team? Here are a few reasons why the Bears added him to the roster:
.@_ihmirr_ from 40 yards out?
That's money, dude 🎯 pic.twitter.com/k9Q73RCidV
— Minnesota Vikings (@Vikings) August 7, 2022
Smith-Marsette Possesses Excellent Speed
If you remember Smith-Marsette’s college career, you know how electric he can be on returns. He still runs a 4.4 40-yard-dash, won the Big Ten’s special teams player of the year award in 2018 and had multiple kick returns for touchdowns during his Iowa career.
One thing the Hawkeyes always emphasize under Kirk Ferentz is quality special teams play, and Smith-Marsette made himself a valuable part of the roster in the often overlooked final third of the game.
Potential for Development
Whether it’s as a receiver or as a return man, Smith-Marsette should offer the Bears plenty of ways to use him on the field. He’s got the ability to develop into a short weapon for quarterback Justin Fields, something Fields badly needs.
The Bears were one of the worst teams in the NFL at gaining yardage after the catch, and Smith-Marsette has the speed to turn 10-yard catches into 30-yard catches if he gets a step on his man. A vertical threat would really help the Bears jump-start their offense.
Plus, he’s coming to a team that will emphasize special teams. First-year Bears coach Matt Eberflus came over from the Indianapolis Colts, and under Frank Reich and Chris Ballard, the Colts have made special teams a large part of their philosophy.
Eberflus has seen for himself just how vital quality return men are, and he’s said that he expects Smith-Marsette to contribute in that area of the game.
COOL: Former Minnesota #Vikings WR Ihmir Smith-Marsette was claimed by the Chicago Bears! 😬 #SKOL pic.twitter.com/f9sjHfBrAE
— SKOR North – Minnesota Sports (@SKORNorth) September 2, 2022
The Bears Are Young and Building
There’s a reason that the Bears’ total win bet for 2022 was 6.5 wins: it’s because Chicago is building for the future. Fields is a second-year quarterback, and the Bears seem determined to let him grow into the job while they try to both piece together their team and wait for Green Bay’s Aaron Rodgers to retire.
Chicago doesn’t have to worry about trying to catch Green Bay or Minnesota right away; the Bears can let Fields develop slowly and let him build connections with young receivers like Smith-Marsette.
It’s much easier to let a young quarterback develop when he’s throwing to someone who’s likely going to be around for him to develop a long-term relationship, and if Fields and Smith-Marsette build a connection, both should be around for a while.
#Bears claim Ihmir Smith-Marsette, put N’Keal Harry on injured reserve, sign 2 to the practice squad, plus an OL update from @wiltfongjr here: https://t.co/05N5EHBTJz
— Windy City Gridiron (@WCGridiron) September 1, 2022
Smith-Marsette Is Playing First-Rate Football Right Now
The preseason doesn’t matter to veterans like Aaron Rodgers or Tom Brady, but for someone like Smith-Marsette, it matters. This became his chance to impress someone outside Minnesota and win himself a job somewhere else, and he took full advantage. He caught 11 passes in the preseason, didn’t drop any, and averaged 11 yards per catch while running a vanilla offense and working with Minnesota’s backup quarterbacks and worse.
With Smith-Marsette clearly in top shape and ready to produce, the Bears want this to work out over the next few years. They’ve invested very little in the Iowa product, and if Smith-Marsette is a good fit for their needs, they’ll have him for the next three years at a team-friendly deal.
With the addition of Ihmir Smith-Marsette, that brings the total to two former Iowa Hawkeyes on the #Bears' roster.
Riley Reiff being the other one. https://t.co/9VUHMFMhFm
— Nicholas Moreano (@NicholasMoreano) September 1, 2022
Final Thoughts
When you have a young quarterback learning on the job, you need to make sure you surround him with talent and do so for a low cost so you can fix any other holes your team might have. The Bears seem to be building the offense slowly, and that means Smith-Marsette will get every chance to win a job in Chicago.
If he does make the team, he won’t have to wait long to show the Vikings they made a mistake: the Bears play the Vikings at U.S. Bank Stadium in Week 4 of the season.
Credits on Featured Image: cheddar- on Flickr
