It looks like the Chicago Bears are primarily focused on improving their offensive line to help quarterback Justin Fields. While it’s not a bad plan, at some point they’ll have to become more aggressive in the broader receiver market. Entering 2022 with Darnell Mooney, Byron Pringle and Equanimaeus St. Brown as the top three choices seems ill-advised. Perhaps general manager Ryan Poles could consider an alternative as the free agent market dries up.
Trades are becoming more and more regular every year. The wide position of the receiver proves this like never before. Davante Adams, Tyreke Hill, Robert Woods and Amari Cooper moved to new teams last month. What makes it even crazier is that Woods and Cooper went for modest profits, picks in the 5th and 6th rounds. If the market moves in this way, the bears can take advantage, assuming the right player is available.
Here are four they should look out for.
Chicago Bears still have trade options
Laviska Chenot (Jacksonville Jaguars)
I already touched on this idea in a previous article. Chenot is an exciting talent with a unique combination of strength and ball catching. He is not a burner, but faster than it might seem at first glance. His production in Jacksonville has been modest, totaling 600 yards each of his last two seasons. Much of this can be attributed to the terrible coaching situation he was in for two years. With Christian Kirk and Zai Jones signed to Marvin Jones, Chenault is in need of a fresh start. His rookie contract will be cheap for the Bears, and his versatility matches their offensive preference for Luke Getsy.
DeVante Parker (Miami Dolphins)
It took a long time for the former first-round pick to finally reach his potential in 2019 with 1,202 yards and nine touchdowns. Since then, inconsistent practices, QB questions, and health issues have seen him barely reach the yardage mark in the last two seasons combined. Now, with the arrival of Tyreke Hill from Kansas City to pair up with Jaylen Waddle, it looks like Parker is no longer on the Dolphins’ agenda. He is still only 29 years old and has a large body, strength and hand-eye coordination to make difficult catches. Fields has no such goal on the list.
Great job by Brandin Cooke, who took two defenders, but gosh, what a shot from Tyrode Taylor. From his back foot, the defender threatens him and the ball still makes a perfect arc for Cooks to find him. pic.twitter.com/F910XtuC22
— Derrick Classen (@QBKlass) September 13, 2021
Brandin Cooks (Houston Texans)
Here are the statistics. So far, Cooks has had a 1,000-yard rushing season with five different quarterbacks during his NFL career. This speaks to his incredible consistency as a target. At 28, he remains in his prime and boasts the unrivaled speed that the Poles strive to achieve in this position. His $16 million salary cap this year isn’t too bad, and he could sign an extension to mitigate that as he becomes a free agent in 2023. It would be quite interesting if he and Darnell Mooney were on the field at the same time. Especially with an amazing deep shot like Fields on the trigger.
Kenny Golladay (New York Giants)
The big irony is that the Chicago Bears tried to sign the hometown boy last offseason, but the Giants offered him more money. Now the regime and the coaching staff who wanted to see him are gone, and he ends a disappointing season where he missed several games with injuries and didn’t even score a touchdown. New York has a tight salary cap right now, and their new general manager might want to create some flexibility by getting rid of the mistakes of the previous regime. Golladey is a player when he is healthy. Hitting the $21 million salary cap will be a challenge, so it may need some negotiation to get it done.
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