Chicago Bears Sign WR Eddie Royal

According to multiple sources the Bears have signed WR Eddie Royal to a three year contract.

Even before the trade of Brandon Marshall the Bears had a considerable weakness in their receiving corps. They had a group of receivers 6’3 and taller with wide catch radii who could high-point passes and catch back shoulder fades, but what they couldn’t do was consistently create separation from defensive backs. That may not be a problem if the Bears had an accurate QB, but asking Jay Cutler to fit the ball into a tight window on a regular basis was a recipe for disaster.

The Bears need to give Cutler a receiver who can actually get open consistently. A receiver who can run sharp underneath routes and give Cutler a reliable safety valve target. The Bears just signed one in WR Eddie Royal. He’s undersized (5’10, 184), but has elite speed (4.39) and has explosive quickness out of breaks. Royal, who is 28 years old, has an ideal profile for a slot receiver and has a history with both Jay Cutler and Bears new OC Adam Gase.

In Cutler’s last season in Denver the Broncos chose Royal out of Virginia Tech in the 2nd round of the 2008 draft. Royal and Cutler developed an instant rapport and Royal finished his rookie season with 91 catches for 980 yards and 5 TDs. Royal’s production dropped drastically after Cutler’s departure which isn’t surprising considering his quarterbacks were Kyle Orton and Tim Tebow the next few seasons.

Royal turned his career around with the Chargers under head coach Mike McCoy in 2013 and has caught 109 passes with 15 touchdowns over the last two seasons. Despite his success the last two years, Royal has yet to match his production with Jay Cutler as a rookie. If Cutler and Royal can re-establish their chemistry seven years later it would give Cutler a reliable underneath receiver, cut down the number of his desperation heaves, and improve the Bears overall offense.

The terms of Royal’s contract with the Bears haven’t been released yet, but as long as it wasn’t a drastic overpay this is a step in the right direction for the Bears.