Chicago Bears: These six wide receivers will make final roster
By Lee Radke
Marquise Goodwin will also be looking to become the Chicago Bears WR3
This offseason, the Chicago Bears added some more speed to their WR room, signing former San Fransisco 49er Marquise Goodwin to a one-year, $1.2 million dollar deal. Sitting out of the 2020 NFL season due to COVID-19, and missing much of the 2019 season due to injury, Goodwin remains one of the bigger question marks for this Chicago Bears football team heading into 2021.
Despite his time away from the NFL, Goodwin seems to be in phenomenal shape and still has plenty of juice. Last month, Goodwin jumped 24’10” at the U.S. Olympic Long Jump Trials in Eugene Oregon. Failing to qualify for the Olympic games, Goodwin still showcased some of his world-class speed and jumping ability. Now that his run at this Olympics is concluded, what can Goodwin bring to this Bears?
When available, Goodwin provides the Chicago Bears with a big-play threat on the perimeter, and a guy who Matt Nagy can scheme open downfield for Justin Fields or Andy Dalton. His last fully healthy season in the NFL was 2017, where he caught 56 passes for 962 yards and four touchdowns. Since the 2017 season, Goodwin has struggled to stay on the field. When on the field for the 49ers in 2018 and 2019, Goodwin caught 35 passes in 20 total games.
Despite his low catch volume, Goodwin averaged a rather high 17.2 yards-per-reception average (YPR) in 2018, and 15.5 YPR in 2019. With the ability to get open downfield in the passing game, I see Goodwin as a lock to make this active roster after training camp. How will this signing turn out for the Chicago Bears and Ryan Pace? That will ultimately depend on how many games Goodwin is able to play in this season.