There are players in the NFL who simply know their role. Anything they’re asked to do in one capacity, such as Chicago Bears special teams gunner, Sherrick McManis, they excel. When pushed outside of those parameters into traditional means, such as on the defensive back-end, you receive less than ample results.

In seven NFL seasons, that’s the best way to describe McManis: a quality special teamer who can be considered a real asset on said unit, but abhorrent otherwise when pressed in on defense. With arguably better depth and talent, the Bears have to hope they don’t have to do see McManis in an uncomfortable position again.

Biography

Age: 29-years-old

Experience: Eighth season

Height: 6-foot-1

Weight: 193 pounds

Contract and salary cap

McManis will be working on the final season of a two-year deal worth $2.85 million in 2017. According to Spotrac, He has a $600,000 signing bonus on said contract and $700,000 guaranteed overall. He will carry a cap hit of $1.45 million this year and the Bears would have $300,000 in dead cap space if they cut him.

Reason for improvement in 2017

Outside of turning into a shutdown cornerback out of nowhere in his eighth year of professional football, there’s not much McManis can do to improve. As the Bears special team captain last year, he just has to maintain his high level of play on the third phase without a drop off. He’s found a niche where he can succeed in the NFL and all he has to do is continue to thrive.

Reason for regression in 2017

Should the Bears experience some awful injury luck in their secondary again, you can bet one of the last players many people will want to see filling in be McManis. Dissatisfactory play from a bottom of the roster, sixth or seventh cornerback isn’t shocking, however it’s also not ideal. As long as McManis doesn’t make significant appearances on defense this doesn’t matter, though. It’s difficult seeing a drop in performance where his real skills on special teams lie.

Final roster odds

While the Bears currently have a bunch of Agent Smith’s in their secondary (the same players i.e. No. 2 and nickel cornerbacks), it allows for a valued special teamer such as McManis to maintain a roster spot with his value. Expect him to be retained because of what he brings to the table as a gunner barring some unforeseen, crazy competition in training camp.

Robert Zeglinski is the Bears beat writer for the Rock River Times and is an editor for Windy City Gridiron. You can follow him on Twitter @RobertZeglinski.