Bears Depth Chart: Wide Receiver

Position Battle (Back-ups):

This is where things get interesting at wide receiver for the Bears. The top two spots are locked up, but after that it’s a veritable free-for-all. Last year the Bears kept six wide receivers on the 53-man roster, but this year I think they will keep seven with the possibility that they don’t have one WR who can handle both the kick and punt returner roles (which I’ll cover in detail in a later post).

Marquess Wilson would have been the front-runner for the 4th wide receiver gig, but yet another injury (broken foot) means he will likely end up on the official PUP list and may not see another snap in a Bears uniform. That leaves nine receivers for three or four potential spots. Let’s take a look at the who the prime candidates are:

Marc Mariani started last season as the Bears kick and punt return specialist. He did make a Pro Bowl with the Titans as a punt returner but coming back from an ACL tear no one was sure what to expect from Mariani. My sources tell me Mariani was almost released after some trouble fielding kicks early in the season, but he kept his job as the punt returner and after a rash of injuries Mariani ended up as the Bears most reliable slot receiver.

Cutler and Mariani developed an obvious rapport and Mariani had the highest percentage on the team of catches converted for 3rd downs. He was clutch, tough over the middle, and fought for every possible yard. Going into the Bears last game of the season, Cutler called Mariani the Bears most talented receiver on the field. That’s high praise from a guy not known for giving out compliments.

In just five starts Mariani had 29 catches for 192 yards and caught 67% of passes thrown his way. If/when Eddie Royal misses games with an injury, Mariani is the only guy on the roster that already has built a rapport with Cutler and should have first dibs on the slot role. That being said, his upside as a receiver is limited, but he’s all but a lock for the punt returner job (after Bolden retired), so his roster spot is secure.

A less conventional option for the slot receiver role is Josh Bellamy, who at 6’0, 211 pounds is bigger than the normal slot option. Bellamy is only in his third year, but is somehow 27 already so his time is running out to make an impact with the Bears. He did show some flashes last year with 19 catches for 224 yards and two TDs. Coming out of college, Bellamy ran a 4.37 40-time, and put up numbers near the top of board in every combine category. He’s an above average athlete even for an NFL receiver and showed some improvement last year in both his route running and ability to catch the ball consistently, two things that have held back Bellamy’s career to this point.

Bellamy’s size, speed, and ability to break tackles after the catch could make him a dangerous weapon out of the slot this season. His size gives him the ability to step outside as well if needed. It’s probably Bellamy’s last shot to make it with the Bears and I’m already hearing good things out of training camp about Bellamy’s improvements this year. He’s a plus contributor on special teams as well which will help his chances of locking up one of the six or seven WR spots on the roster.

The long-shot and already fan favorite for the slot role is 7th-round pick Daniel Braverman out of Western Michigan. At just 5’10, 177 pounds Braverman is undersized to say the least, but is also coming off a college season where he finished second in the nation with 108 catches, 1,367 yards, and 13 touchdowns. That type of production is impressive at any level, but when given the chance to play against top-tier talent Braverman dominated, putting up a 10/124/1 line against Ohio St and their six defensive players drafted this year and 13/109 against Michigan St who had one of the best defenses in CFB.

Braverman may be undersized, but he’s a sharp route runner, with reliable hands, and the ability to make people miss in the open field. According to Pro Football Focus Braverman led CFB with 3.27 yards gained per route run and had only 11 drops on 198 targets over two seasons. Braverman has been counted out his whole career, but he’s been out performing the competition since his days growing up in South Florida. He’s also off to a great start in training camp:

There is a chance the Bears stash Braverman on the practice squad to give him time to bulk up a little, but if Royal is hurt again and Mariani or Bellamy don’t produce… Braverman could find himself in the slot with a chance to produce and Braverman has yet to not over-achieve when given a chance to play. Catches like this one aren’t going to hurt his chances:

I’ve gone over the options to fill in the slot role when/if Eddie Royal gets hurt, but what about the outside receiver role? It’s not like Jeffery is lock for the lineup every week and White has yet to prove anything at the NFL level. Bellamy has the size to take over as an outside receiver, but there are limited options after that. One player who could fill an outside receiver role and provide a unique skill to the Bears receiver group is Deonte Thompson.

He has a fairly secure role as the as the Bears primary kick returner which may give him an edge over the receivers covered in the next section for players battling for a roster spot. Thompson has been in the league since 2012, but hasn’t gotten much of a chance to be a receiver with only five catches before joining the Bears last season. As a kick returner, Thompson averaged 29.2 yards per kick return which would have been the 2nd best return average in the league if he had enough chances to qualify. That should be enough to lock up the kick returner position, but Thompson has a chance to contribute as a wide receiver as well.

Thompson provides one thing that the Bears receiving core lacks and that’s the speed to be a legitimate deep threat (4.31). He also has enough size (6’0, 205) to play on the outside. Thompson only caught two passes for the Bears last season but averaged a ridiculous 40.5 yards per catch. With Jay Cutler’s cannon arm, Thompson could possibly become a weapon in the passing game as a deep threat that the Bears are currently lacking. He’s drawing rave reviews so far in training camp.

That’s already seven receivers who have a strong to quite strong chance of making the Bears final 53-man roster. The rest of the receivers in the section below will have to exceed expectations and really stand out to take a spot from one of the seven players listed so far. I’ll break down their chances below.

Next: Position Battle (53-man Roster)