Riley Ridley is a member of the Chicago Bears. Does that mean anything to Taylor Gabriel and Allen Robinson?
Ryan Pace continues to focus on adding weapons for Mitch Trubisky to utilize.
That was evident yet again during the 2019 NFL Draft. Pace traded up to grab David Montgomery and even used a seventh round pick on Kerrith Whyte as another potential big play threat in the backfield.
But what was more interesting than the focus on the running back position, was the selection of wide receiver Riley Ridley in the fourth round.
Ridley was considered a third round talent by most scouts and many consider Pace getting Ridley in the fourth a very good value. But with Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller, Taylor Gabriel and Cordarrelle Patterson on the roster (as well as Javon Wims), was it worth using limited draft capital on another wide receiver?
It absolutely could pay dividends for Pace and the Chicago Bears.
Forget this season. We know that Robinson, Miller and Gabriel are going to get the lion’s share of the targets from the wide receiver position and Patterson will be inserted all over the offense (as well as Tarik Cohen) providing the Bears with several different looks.
Ridley is going to be a sub that doesn’t get too many snaps on Sundays this year, unless there is an injury that moves Ridley into the regular rotation.
The drafting of Ridley is more about seeing the future of this receiving corps take shape.
Taylor Gabriel had a very good season for Chicago in 2018. He saw more targets and gained more yards than any season previously.
However, even Gabriel’s best season is still not an irreplaceable season. With the depth they are building on offense with drafting Riley Ridley, the potential of Javon Wims, playing Tarik Cohen at receiver and the flexibility of Cordarrelle Patterson, Gabriel will become replaceable.
More from Bear Goggles On
- Franchise tag and transition tag windows open for Chicago Bears and NFL
- How the Chicago Bears can control the running back market in 2023
- The Chicago Bears can own the city of Chicago moving forward
- Chicago Bears NFL Combine Preview: Quarterback
- 7 best free agent tackle options for Chicago Bears
The Bears will have the opportunity to let Gabriel go after this season and have only a minimal cap hit and save substantially on his contract for its two remaining seasons.
The more interesting piece is Allen Robinson. Robinson’s contract runs through 2020 and the Bears have an out after 2019. Unless Robinson greatly regresses (highly unlikely), the Bears will almost certainly keep Robinson around for the 2020 season.
The issue will be moving forward. Will they re-sign Robinson and keep a receiver with a high salary? Or will they try to let Robinson walk after 2020 and use that money to keep other players and hope a receiving corps of Miller, Ridley and perhaps Wims will be able to handle the targets from Trubisky.
The goal of Pace’s constant focus to continually add to the wide receiver group is because he doesn’t want to be tied to high-salary players. If they choose to keep Robinson because he’s performing, they want that to be their decision, not be forced into doing it because they don’t have a choice.
This is most likely Taylor Gabriel’s last season in Chicago. Robinson most likely has at least two left, but with Pace constantly giving Matt Nagy new weapons to work with, there’s no guarantee that even Robinson will be here past 2020.
Sustaining a talented roster is a tricky thing to do in the NFL. Pace has built up a loaded roster, but as the Bears move forward each season, difficult decisions will be made. Don’t be surprised if those first tough decisions start with the receivers.