The Chicago Bears don’t have a glaring problem at wide receiver, at least not when it comes to having a go-to-guy.
Allen Robinson has been everything this team imagined after signing a lucrative three-year deal in free agency back in 2018, and he’s playing like a guy hungry for a new contract this season. Robinson has 40 catches for 474 yards and two scores through two games.
Things get a little murky after A-Rob, though.
Rookie Darnell Mooney is polished beyond his years and is already outplaying his fifth-round draft status, but it would be unfair to rely on the former Tulane star to shoulder the WR2 load in his first season.
Mooney has 18 catches for 196 yards and one score in 2020.
Anthony Miller continues to fall short of expectations in 2020 — he has just 16 catches for 169 yards and two scores — and doesn’t appear capable of turning the corner under Matt Nagy. The coaching staff doesn’t trust him, he continues to repeat mental errors, and simply isn’t reliable enough to take the field as a weekly starter.
Javon Wims, for some reason, isn’t targeted enough to even consider as a real factor in the wide receiver conversation and 2019 fourth-round pick, Riley Ridley, has been a healthy scratch for most of his first two seasons in the league.
With a 5-1 record and in first place in the NFC North, the Bears could end up being active players at the Nov. 3 trade deadline. And maybe, they’ll have their sights set on a wide receiver who can help A-Rob and Mooney.
According to a recent breakdown of every team’s biggest priority as the trade deadline looms, wide receiver topped Chicago’s needs:
The Chicago Bears made the switch from Mitchell Trubisky to Nick Foles at quarterback less than three full weeks into the season. While the move has helped get Chicago to 5-1, it hasn’t exactly caused the passing game to flourish.
While only four teams have attempted more passes this season, Chicago ranks just 23rd in passing yards and 27th in yards per attempt. A lack of a reliable possession receiver could be part of the problem.
While it’s fair to blame Foles and Trubisky for failing to consistently throw catchable balls, Chicago would be wise to aid Foles by looking for a big-bodied and sure-handed possession receiver at the deadline.
Veteran wide receivers who could be available for trade include A.J. Green (Bengals), Golden Tate (Giants), Marvin Jones (Lions), DeDe Westbrook (Jaguars), and John Ross (Bengals).