Almost a week after the 2020 NFL Draft, the Chicago Bears continued to add new players to their roster. One of those players is 14-year veteran wide receiver Ted Ginn Jr. The speedy 35-year old agreed to a one-year deal with Chicago, according to National Insider for NFL Network Ian Rapoport.
The #Bears have agreed to terms on a 1-year deal with veteran WR Ted Ginn Jr, source said. Chicago has been searching for a speed WR, now they have one.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 30, 2020
The addition of Ginn currently gives the Bears 12 wide receivers on their roster. Of course, this number will dwindle. But, does Chicago plan to have Ginn’s services to be primarily as a receiver?
Throughout his career, the Ohio State product has been known to be a deep threat in the passing game, but has also been known to be a dangerous return man. Ginn has a total of 9,499 yards and seven touchdowns as a returner for kickoffs and punts. Could it be that general manager Ryan Pace brought Ginn in to be more of a returner rather than a wide receiver?
Last season, Cordarrelle Patterson made the Pro Bowl as a kickoff returner. So, it should be safe to say that Patterson will continue to fulfill his duties as the Bears’ kickoff return man. As for punt returner, this is where Ginn might be used. Well, if this happens, that means that Tarik Cohen could be traded before the start of the 2020 season.
Cohen was arguably the most dynamic player for Chicago during his first two years in the NFL, but last season his production regressed. Despite his backslide, Cohen is still a talent that can attract the attention of many teams in the league. Being on the final year of his rookie contract entering 2020, the Bears could ponder shopping Cohen for something much more needed—maybe even another running back.
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Let’s say that Cohen his traded. That will leave David Montgomery, Ryan Nall, and undrafted rookie free agents Artavis Pierce and Napoleon Maxwell as the only running backs on the roster for now. And let’s not forget that the versatile Patterson has lined up in the backfield on occasion.
Maybe dealing Cohen will give head coach Matt Nagy more of a reason to use Patterson at running back in 2020. Patterson did average 6.1 yards per carry in 2019, and there are many people who believe that he should have more carries in the offense.
Now to make this perfectly clear, this is all just speculation. The Ginn acquisition is brand new, and it is way too early to know for sure what Pace and Nagy intend to do following this addition. This is just here to give you something to think about while we all await the start of the 2020 season. So, Bear Nation, tell us what you think.