On July 28, the Chicago Bears will report to training camp at Halas Hall with some uncertainty at the wide receiver position. Two years into his four-year deal, Taylor Gabriel was a cap casualty in February, creating $4.5 million in cap space with just $2 million accounting in dead cap. Gabriel, 29, hauled in 96 balls for 1,041 yards and six touchdowns in two seasons but was limited by concussions last year.
He played in nine games — including seven starts — and tallied 353 receiving yards, but he also recorded a 6.3 percent drop rate. In place of Gabriel, the Bears signed free-agent wide receiver, Ted Ginn Jr., to a one-year deal worth nearly $1.2 million. They also added Darnell Mooney out of Tulane via the draft.
The productivity of the receiving corps will solely depend on the play at the quarterback position. Mitchell Trubisky is potentially entering his final season in Chicago, as the Bears declined his fifth-year option. They added Nick Foles as an insurance policy while also applying pressure on Trubisky.
Back in May, Pro Football Focus ranked the receiving corps fifth-worst in the NFL, but they noted the potential Foles has in moving the needle.
Let’s take a look at what the Bears’ quarterbacks have to work in terms of wide receivers heading into training camp.
Allen Robinson
Robinson is likely the best wide receiver the Bears have had since Brandon Marshall. The 26-year-old is entering his final year of a three-year deal and should be a prime candidate for an extension after the season. He got off to a slow start in Chicago, hauling in 55 receptions – the lowest since his rookie year – for 754 yards and four touchdowns.
However, in the Wild Card round of the playoffs, Robinson showed why the Bears signed him, recording a franchise record ten receptions for 143 yards and a score. While the game resulted in a loss, it propelled the Penn State product into 2020, as he tallied a career-best 98 receptions along with 1,147 yards and seven touchdowns.