4. Chicago Bears may want Chase Claypool
Chase Claypool had the best game of his season against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and is immediately in trade rumors. Is that a coincidence, or are the Pittsburgh Steelers looking to shop him while he has any sort of value?
The recent reports are that the Steelers are listening, but want a Christian McCaffery type of package. I am sure they do. Claypool may have more positional value at wide receiver, but he is not getting that type of return.
Claypool just has 1.5 years left on his contract, so the team acquiring him will have to use this season to see if they want to extend him in the offseason. Beyond that, one good game and a bunch of questionable performances is not quite enough to increase his value.
Claypool has size and speed but has not grasped the other aspects of wide receiver. He has never beaten out Diontae Johnson, and George Pickens quickly has looked better than him.
The Steelers have moved Claypool into the slot which also may reduce his value. The reality is that if the Steelers are firm in their stance that Claypool is worth a CMC offer, they will not trade him.
If they actually want to trade him, it could take something like a fourth-round pick to take a flier on him. At that cost, the team would have to have an interest. This is why the Chicago Bears have to call.