Former Chicago Bears receiver Muhsin Muhammad famously once said “Chicago is where wide receivers go to die.” Well, according to Pro Football Focus (PFF), they’re very much alive, but may only be average.
The analytics site ranked all 32 NFL teams and their wide receiver position groups heading into the 2020 season. The rankings not only looked at star receivers but depth and how their top three or four options can attack opposing defenses. When it came to the Bears, PFF’s Steve Palazzolo slotted them in at No. 20, citing a number of unknowns outside of Pro-Bowl caliber receiver Allen Robinson. Below is his summary of the Bears’ pass catchers and why they’re ranked in the twenties.
The receiving corps was one-dimensional last season, as Allen Robinson posted the 12th-best receiving grade in the league at 81.1, but no other receiver graded higher than 67.9.
Robinson finished with 393 yards on deep (20-plus yard) passes, and his drop rate of 3.0% was 11th-best out of 101 qualifiers. At his best, Robinson is a complete receiver who can win at all levels of the field and at the catch point. Anthony Miller had the second-highest receiving grade on the team at 67.9, and he may be ready to take the next step to be a true No. 2 option behind Robinson.
The No. 3 role is wide open after Taylor Gabriel was released this offseason after a disappointing 62.0 overall grade last season. Riley Ridley a 2019 fourth-rounder, is a smooth route-runner who could fit as more of a possession receiver after catching six passes in his debut last season. He’ll compete with Javon Wims, a big-bodied target who ranked fifth on the team with 186 yards a year ago. Cordarrelle Patterson is more of a gimmick player at this point, and his 6.4 yards after the catch have a place as long as he’s not relied upon too much on the outside.
The Bears also added speed this offseason with Ted Ginn Jr. and fifth-rounder Darnell Mooney out of Tulane, so the goal is to have at least one of them to emerge as a much-needed deep option to complement the other pieces in place. There are plenty of question marks beyond Robinson, and the fate of this receiving corps depends on Miller’s development and the emergence of a downfield threat.
PFF sometimes has a reputation for disrespecting the Bears in their rankings or analysis, but this ranking appears to be spot on. Robinson is truly a stud for this team and was the only consistent player for the Bears offense in 2019. He finished with 98 catches for 1,147 yards and seven touchdowns. His 1,147 yards accounted for nearly a third of the entire team’s passing yards.
Miller is the key to this unit succeeding or becoming too reliant on Robinson. A popular breakout candidate in 2020, Miller has had some injury concerns and inconsistencies on the field. He was largely invisible during the first half of the 2019 season, but he came alive to finish strong and give the Bears that 1-2 punch they envisioned back in August. Still, he’s spending his second consecutive offseason rehabbing from shoulder surgery and may not get the necessary practice reps in due to the COVID-19 pandemic shortening the preseason.
Palazzalo’s concerns at the WR3 spot are also valid, considering neither former Georgia Bulldogs Riley Ridley nor Javon Wims did enough to instill confidence they can be a legitimate weapon last season. But things could open up if newcomers Ted Ginn Jr. or Darnell Mooney end up becoming the sorely missed deep threat for the Bears.
The Bears receivers ranking isn’t anything to write home about. But the good news? They’re still the second-best in the division, behind Detroit (No. 7) and ahead of Minnesota (No. 21) and Green Bay (No. 24).
How do you feel about PFF’s ranking of the Bears wide receivers?
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