Tag: Darnell Mooney

PFF: Chargers listed as potential landing spot for WR Darnell Mooney

Darnell Mooney possesses the speed the Chargers need in the wide receiver room.

The Chargers could be retooling their wide receiver room this offseason. Mike Williams is a possible cap casualty. Keenan Allen could be, too, but even if he stays in Los Angeles, he will be 32 years old next season.

Should the Bolts seek free agency to address the position, Pro Football Focus’ Brad Spielberger believes Bears’ Darnell Mooney could be a potential target.

The Chargers have some interesting in-house decisions with their own wide receivers, but they need to add more talent even after using their first-round pick in 2023 on Quentin Johnston. Mooney historically has created quick separation at the intermediate level, a skill set that would pair quite well with Justin Herbert. Jim Harbaugh may prioritize wide receivers that can block at a high level, but they have plenty of bigger bodies already.

Mooney’s 2023 season wasn’t all sunshine and rainbows, as he finished with a career-low 31 catches for 414 yards and a touchdown.

This was two seasons after his breakout year in which he posted 81 receptions, 1,055 yards and four TDs.

The Chargers need more speed at the position, which Mooney possesses, having run a 4.38 40-yard dash. He could be a solid target for Justin Herbert in the intermediate and deep parts of the field.

PFF is projecting Mooney’s contract to be worth $9 million for a year.

While I believe in addressing the wide receiver position in the draft, if Los Angeles were to get Mooney in a buy-low situation, it might be worth it as he’s only 26 years old, and he could inject the offense with the explosive ability to consistently separate from coverage.

Ranking 2024’s top 12 free-agent wide receivers

You may want to bookmark this one, Panthers fans.

We know that Carolina Panthers quarterback Bryce Young can’t do it alone. So, the newly-constructed braintrust needs to find him some help—and that search could start on the open market.

Here are the top 12 free-agent wide receivers for the 2024 offseason:

 

10 WRs the Colts should target in free agency

The Colts should target these WRs in free agency.

The Indianapolis Colts are looking to be more explosive on offense in 2024 and one way to make that happen is with an addition to the receiving corps.

The first matter of business, of course, is the Michael Pittman Jr. contract extension. Chris Ballard will have to either come to an agreement with him by March 5 or use the franchise tag on him.

Odds say that MPJ will be a Colt next season but regardless of whether he walks or stays in Indianapolis, we’re taking a look at 10 receivers who should be on the front office’s radar in free agency.

We should note that we understand a handful of these players won’t even hit the market, but we’re working under the hypothetical scenario that they hit they become available, regardless of how slim the chances are.

Bears receivers back Justin Fields: ‘(He’s) the QB of the future’

Bears WRs DJ Moore and Darnell Mooney aren’t sure why people are questioning whether Justin Fields is the team’s franchise QB.

There’s been plenty of discussion about Bears quarterback Justin Fields’ future, especially as we ramp up the final month of the regular season.

With Chicago projected to have the No. 1 pick in the 2024 NFL draft (courtesy of the Carolina Panthers), general manager Ryan Poles has an important decision to make this offseason: Stick with Fields or draft a top rookie.

It’s a decision that won’t come easy to Poles, as Fields is making it easy with his improved play down this final stretch. But if you ask Bears wide receivers, the choice is simple: You roll it back with Fields in 2024.

“Justin is the quarterback of the future,” wide receiver Darnell Mooney said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “He’s the franchise quarterback. He’s been balling. I don’t understand why it’s anymore questions. Obviously, we have the [projected No. 1 pick] because of Carolina right now, but Justin is a dog. If he’s not here, he’ll be somewhere else balling. I’m not the guy that makes those decisions, but Justin is dog. Wherever he may be, if it’s not here, he’s still going to ball.”

Moore echoed the sentiment, especially as he and Fields have developed a nice rapport this season. So why are people questioning Fields’ future in Chicago?

“I don’t know,” Moore said. “Ya’ll asked me that last week. I’m still like, ‘Bruh, where are ya’ll seeing this? What makes him not the franchise quarterback for the Chicago Bears right now?'”

Poles will do his due diligence in the draft process, including the evaluation of the draft’s top quarterback prospects Caleb Williams and Drake Maye. But Moore isn’t entertaining the notion that they’re the better option.

“I get ya’ll got everybody coming out. What, there’s like two of them?” Moore said. “I don’t think they are better than Justin.”

Unfortunately, Moore isn’t the one making the final call. It’s up to Poles to determine the best course of direction for the Bears. After all, he will be defined by it.

Bears offense admits they got complacent in 3rd quarter vs. Browns

Darnell Mooney admitted he didn’t like how the Bears offense got “too comfortable” after jumping out to a 17-7 lead in the third quarter.

The Chicago Bears offense had a rough outing against the Cleveland Browns, where they totaled just 10 points, had eight three-and-outs and couldn’t find a rhythm.

The Bears did score 10 of their 17 points in the third quarter — but it wasn’t all because of the offense. Linebacker Tremaine Edmunds intercepted Browns quarterback Joe Flacco and returned it 45 yards for a touchdown to give Chicago a 14-7 lead.

On the offense’s only points of the third quarter, they drove 47 yards on nine plays only to stall on the Cleveland 23-yard line and settled for a Cairo Santos field goal.

Wide receiver Darnell Mooney admitted after the game that he didn’t like how the offense got “too comfortable” after the team jumped out to a 17-7 lead.

“I didn’t like how we felt comfortable in the third quarter,” Mooney said, via ESPN’s Courtney Cronin. “Just lackadaisical and just conservative. Everybody just happy that we were winning and just got to be aggressive and continue to put their foot on the pedal and just go out there and punch ‘em. Can’t get too comfortable in the third quarter. That’s what kind of bit us. Tried to switch gears in the fourth quarter once they scored. It’s hard to do that.”

Wide receiver DJ Moore agreed.

“I mean, yeah, it was kind of a lull in the third quarter,” Moore said, via Cronin. “We didn’t really have no explosive plays. I don’t even think we had more than four first downs. It was like a little lull and we can’t be like that going against a defense like that.”

After the Bears jumped out to that 17-7 lead, the Browns scored 10 unanswered points en route to their comeback victory. It was the third time this season that Chicago has blown a 10-plus point lead in the fourth quarter.

While the offense surely has confidence in their defense, which has been a dominant force in the past few weeks, there’s no excuse for them to let off the pedal against a team with a playoff spot on the line.

And, when you do, good teams tend to take advantage of that complacency.

Instant analysis of Bears’ 20-17 loss vs. Browns in Week 15

The Chicago Bears suffered a tough 20-17 defeat on the road against the Cleveland Browns. The game began as a defensive battle, with both teams exchanging punts early and often. However, in the second half, there was a momentum shift as Cleveland …

The Chicago Bears suffered a tough 20-17 defeat on the road against the Cleveland Browns. The game began as a defensive battle, with both teams exchanging punts early and often. However, in the second half, there was a momentum shift as Cleveland figured out ways to find the end zone, and Chicago’s offense could not get going when it mattered most.

The Browns wound up taking the late lead, and the game ended dramatically as Darnell Mooney dropped a potential game-winning touchdown on a 45-yard Hail Mary attempt. This loss brings Chicago’s record to a disappointing 5-9, crushing any slim playoff aspirations.

The Bears had a promising start on offense with an early touchdown by Cole Kmet following an interception by Eddie Jackson. Unfortunately, that was the high point for the group, which struggled throughout the game. As a team, the Bears averaged 3.3 yards per rush, and Justin Fields averaged 4.2 yards per pass while battling a tough Browns defense.

Poor weather influenced the Bears’ game plan. Still, their conservative and ineffective approach led to nine punts or turnovers on ten possessions. It was a masterclass in offensive ineptitude.

The Bears defense initially kept the Browns’ offense at bay, allowing just seven points in the first half. They forced three interceptions, including a pick-six by linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. Chicago also constantly pressured quarterback Joe Flacco, sacking him four times. But a critical error in the fourth quarter allowed Amari Cooper to score a 51-yard touchdown, tying the game at 17-17.

With three minutes remaining, this play shouldn’t have decided the game. Still, the Bears offense failed to respond, ultimately leading to their defeat in the end.

Sunday’s game in Cleveland highlighted a recurring issue for the Bears: the inability to play complementary football. The defense has been formidable, forcing 14 turnovers in the last four weeks and producing a +9 turnover differential. However, during this time, the offense has only averaged 20 points per game. The Bears are 2-2 during this four-game stretch of elite defensive play and fail to translate it into more wins.

Next up, the Bears will host the Arizona Cardinals (3-10) at Soldier Field. The game kicks off at 3:25 pm CT.

LG Teven Jenkins left the game in the second quarter due to a concussion.

The Bears nearly had a walk-off Hail Mary after the ball impossibly bounced off Darnell Mooney’s hands

How did Darnell Mooney not catch this???

Darnell Mooney’s going to be dreaming of this Hail Mary pass tonight.

On Sunday, the Chicago Bears lost to the Cleveland Browns 20-17 thanks to some late-game heroics from Joe Flacco to secure the game-winning field goal. After the Browns made the field goal to take the lead, the Bears did have about 30 seconds left to make a play and they almost did thanks to the arm of Justin Fields.

With no time left on the clock, Fields launched a Hail Mary down the field towards the end zone. Unlike with most Hail Mary passes, this one was nearly caught by Mooney in the end zone. In fact, Mooney had it in his hands, but the ball impossibly bounced off of his arms, ending up as a Browns’ interception to steal the win.

That was so close. Maybe the closest Hail Mary attempt we’ve seen this season. Mooney and the Bears will definitely be thinking about this play after that rough loss for sure.

NFL fans were just as devastated as Mooney after the Bears’ wide receiver dropped a game-winning Hail Mary against the Browns.

5 potential free agent fits for Patriots in 2024

Here are five possible free agent fits for the Patriots in 2024.

The New England Patriots are sitting at 3-10 and their playoff hopes are over. Even though there are still four game left on the regular season schedule, the groundwork for change is underway.

The Patriots will have all of their own draft picks, which are likely to fall in the top-five in each round. They have very few commitments locked up long-term, and they will potentially have upwards of $100 million in cap space. All of that is enticing for a new general manager and coach pairing, which is likely to happen.

The new regime will try and spend like the 2021 Patriots but get a better return on investment. Here are five potential free agent fits for the Patriots with the available cap space in 2024:

4 defensive keys for Vikings vs. Bears

For the Vikings to slow down Justin Fields and the Bears, they will have to follow these four defensive keys to victory.

The Minnesota Vikings have a chance to better their playoff chances before a much-needed bye week on Monday night against the Chicago Bears (7:20 p.m. CST, ESPN)

After dropping the Sunday night game against the Denver Broncos, Minnesota is still slated at sixth in the playoff race, but a win would give them an 82% chance to make the postseason.

Which, after a deflating 0-3 start, would be yet another testament to the resiliency of this team. To do that, they need to stop this Chicago offense that hasn’t been full-strength since their last meeting.

Justin Fields accounted for 273 yards of total offense in last week’s eventual collapse against the Detroit Lions. This was his first action back since leaving the first meeting against the Vikings with a dislocated thumb on his throwing hand.

The addition of Fields was felt immediately as the Bears were a Tyler Scott completion from salting away a huge upset win against Detroit. This offense cannot be overlooked, despite how well the Minnesota defense has looked recently.

If they want to stop this offense, they must follow these four keys to success on the defensive side.

5 Browns potential WR targets at the NFL trade deadline

The trade deadline is vastly approaching and the Browns are looking for a wide receiver…

The NFL trade deadline has arrived. Teams have until 4 PM EST today to get deals reported to the NFL office if they want to add talent to their rosters. The Cleveland Browns have been reported to be in the market for a wide receiver to add to their offense as they continue to attempt to jumpstart that side of the football. Could names like Jerry Jeudy of the Denver Broncos or Marquise Brown of the Arizona Cardinals be targets?

Amari Cooper has been Amari Cooper, but other than that the wide receiver unit has been a disappointment for the Browns. Elijah Moore has only recently gotten out of a gadget role, Donovan Peoples-Jones is one of the worst separators in the NFL and has disappeared this season, and third round picks David Bell and Cedric Tillman see the field sparingly.

As the Browns sit at 4-3 and just average quarterback play away from a much better record, here are five wide receiver targets that could help to push them over the top.