Should Chicago Bears Keep Evan Rodriguez?

Over the weekend, Bears fullback Evan Rodriguez was arrested for a DUI. It was his second brush with the law this off-season. He was arrested earlier in the season, though those charges were dropped.

Rodriguez is a young prospect that showed flashes of an interesting future last season, but is he worth the trouble?

Working in Mike Tice's offense, Rodriguez was a hybrid fullback and tight end. Because his role in the offense wasn't about carrying the ball or catching many passes, he didn't accrue big numbers. His role was to fill in on blocking and open holes for Matt Forte.

This year, he'll be in a whole new offense under Marc Trestman. He could have more opportunities to shine and learn from Martellus Bennett, the Bears' leading tight end. But how motivated can he be when he gets in multiple scrapes with the law? 

After his first first arrest, Phil Emery said he "re-educated" Rodriguez on the team's expectations. The re-education didn't take effect considering he was arrested again. Rodriguez released this statement:

"I am deeply sorry for the incident that occurred the other night. I want to apologize to the entire Bears organization, my teammates, coaches and Bears fans everywhere. I realize that I made a very poor decision. I know that more is expected of me and that I let a lot of people down that are counting on me. I will make positive changes in my life so that this doesn't happen again.”   

New Bears head coach Marc Trestman has stood by trouble players in the past. When coaching in the CFL, he stood by a player the rest of the league had written off. The player straightened up and became one of the top players in the league.

This shows Trestman and Emery could give Rodriguez another chance, but he has to be perfect this season, both on the field and off of it.

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