Tag: bears wide receivers

Bears could be planning to load up at wide receiver this offseason

NFL insider Adam Caplan believes the Bears will add at least two wide receivers this offseason to bolster the position group.

Free agency is just a few days away, and the Chicago Bears should be one of the more active teams when it comes to improving their roster, specifically at the wide receiver position. The Bears only have three receivers under contract who played meaningful snaps (DJ Moore, Tyler Scott, and Velus Jones Jr.), and just one of them (Moore) made a significant impact during the 2023 season. Adding players to the position during both free agency and the draft should be a priority, and it sounds like that could be the plan.

Adam Caplan of Pro Football Network recently released a mock draft following the 2024 NFL Scouting Combine, where Chicago selected quarterback Caleb Williams at No. 1 and wide receiver Rome Odunze at No. 9. Neither pick is surprising at this stage, and mock drafts aren’t the end all, be all, but it’s what Caplan said about the Odunze pick that should have fans excited about the Bears’ strategy.

“We’re told that the Bears are planning to add at least two wide receivers this offseason, and this area is around where Odunze — who our sources say isn’t too far behind Harrison in grades from around the NFL — could be selected.

During our talks with NFL sources at the Combine, there was a growing sense that fourth-year WR Darnell Mooney would be playing elsewhere this coming season, which would leave the door open for adding Odunze here.”

From what Caplan is gathering, the Bears will be looking to add multiple wide receivers this offseason, which could come from free agency, the draft, or both. Given the Bears still have around $44 million in cap space following the Jaylon Johnson franchise tag, they can afford one of the better free agent wide receivers on the market. Someone like Curtis Samuel, Tyler Boyd, or DJ Chark could be added as a solid WR3 while the Bears draft a star prospect like Odunze or Malik Nabers in hopes of them becoming an impact player opposite Moore. They could also find a way to trade down and target one of the players in the tier below, such as Brian Thomas Jr., Adonai Mitchell, Keon Coleman, or Troy Franklin.

There are a few different avenues general manager Ryan Poles can take, but it seems all the roads will wind up ending with the Bears revamping their wide receiver room. Adding more playmakers to a team that most likely will have a rookie quarterback under center next season isn’t a bad plan.

WATCH: Bears WRs prank Tyler Scott with expensive dinner bill

The Bears rookie was speechless when he saw the tab.

The Chicago Bears wide receivers enjoyed a nice dinner together before their second preseason game of the season against the Indianapolis Colts on Friday night. But judging by the look on Tyler Scott’s face, the rookie may have wanted to show off his speed by getting out of that restaurant in a hurry after seeing the “bill.”

The position group decided to play a prank on Scott while out to dinner, saying he needed to pick up the tab as part of his rookie duties. The only problem was the total that was given to him was for $20,501.81. Wide receiver Daurice Fountain captured the moment on his Instagram, where Scott was dumbfounded when he saw the total before realizing it was a joke.

The bill was passed around the room before making its way to Scott and Fountain laughed hysterically as the rookie tried to make sense of it. Fortunately, Scott didn’t have to pay and Fountain made sure to note the bill was not $20,000.

 

Though the fun came at Scott’s expense, it’s good to see the receivers bonding together during the preseason. Scott’s status for the game is up in the air after he sat out of Thursday’s practice. The Bears and Colts kick off later this evening at 6 pm CT.

Bears activate WR Chase Claypool off PUP list ahead of training camp

That was quick. Just 24 hours after he was added, Chase Claypool is off the PUP list and ready to go for training camp.

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It only took one day for the Chicago Bears to add, then remove, wide receiver Chase Claypool from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.

On Monday evening, the Bears announced they had removed Claypool from the PUP list, making him eligible to practice as the team prepares reports to training camp this week.

The Bears added Claypool to the list on Sunday afternoon, surprising fans in the process after he was seen running and cutting with quarterback Justin Fields and other teammates just a week earlier. Claypool had been dealing with a soft tissue injury near the end of mandatory minicamp that forced him to sit out of practices. Head coach Matt Eberflus indicated Claypool had been dealing with “a few things” but the expectation was always that he would be ready for the start of training camp.

Now that’s a reality and the Bears should have their full wide receiving corps ready to go when they hit the field this Wednesday. That includes new receiver Isaiah Ford, who is reportedly signing a deal with the team.

Report: Bears to sign WR Isaiah Ford

After a successful workout, the Bears are reportedly signing wide receiver Isaiah Ford.

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The Chicago Bears will reportedly have a new wide receiver on their roster when training camp begins this week. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Bears are signing wide receiver Isaiah Ford to a contract. Schultz reported Ford had a workout with the Bears earlier on Monday prior to the signing.

Ford was drafted in the seventh round by the Miami Dolphins in 2017 out of Virginia Tech. He dealt with injuries his rookie season and didn’t become a significant contributor until the 2019 season. Ford was counted on as a backup receiver, totaling no more than 276 yards in a season.

He last saw regular season action in 2021 when he had 12 receptions for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He spent the 2022 season with the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad.

Ford’s signing raised questions about the status of Chase Claypool after he was placed on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. But shortly after the signing was reported, the Bears removed Claypool from the list, making him eligible to practice when training camp begins. Ford will try and earn a roster spot when practices begin this week. The entire team is set to report to training camp on Tuesday.

Bears work out WR Isaiah Ford

According to Jordan Schultz, the Bears brought in former Miami Dolphins wide receiver Isaiah Ford for a workout.

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The Chicago Bears are just hours away from reporting to training camp but are still looking for reinforcements on offense. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the Bears brought in wide receiver Isaiah Ford for a workout on Monday morning. This comes a day after the team placed wide receiver Chase Claypool on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list going into camp.

Ford was drafted in the seventh round by the Miami Dolphins in 2017 out of Virginia Tech. He dealt with injuries his rookie season and didn’t become a significant contributor until the 2019 season. Ford was counted on as a backup receiver, totaling no more than 276 yards in a season.

He last saw regular season action in 2021 when he had 12 receptions for 161 yards and two touchdowns. He spent the 2022 season with the Indianapolis Colts’ practice squad.

If the Bears were to sign Ford, he would likely just be a camp body to compete with the other players, even if Claypool were to miss extended time with an injury. But it’s clear the Bears aren’t done looking at improving the receiver position, even this close to camp.

Bears 2022 WR review: New faces fail to make a difference

Our next Bears position review focuses on the wide receivers, a group that featured many new players who disappointed as a whole.

The Chicago Bears wrapped the 2022 season with a 3-14 record, which culminated in a 10-game losing streak. But there’s still reasons to be optimistic about the future, including a boatload of salary cap space, the first overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft and the emergence of quarterback Justin Fields.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going position by position through the 2022 Bears and grading every player. After looking at quarterbacks and running backs, we’re staying on offense with the wide receivers, a group that featured many new faces but disappointed as a whole in 2022.

Bears 2020 training camp preview: Wide Receivers

The Chicago Bears wide receiving corps must be productive for the offense to succeed in 2020. Let’s take a look at each member.

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

David Banks-USA TODAY Sports

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.

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