The Chicago Bears made a big trade for Chase Claypool. After the team looked as if they were going to be big sellers at the trade deadline, they turned some of their defensive talents into offensive talent in acquiring a wide receiver. What should the Bears know about the third-year wideout?
4. Will Chicago Bears play Chase Claypool in the slot?
While many view Claypool as a wide receiver who dominates on the outside, that has not been the case this season. He has spent 79.1% of his snaps in the slot this year. However, for his career, he only spent 33.9% of his snaps in the slot.
During his rookie season it was 22.4%, and 18.7% the year after. That is a huge shift. Overall, It is hard to say whether it is the scheme or the quarterback or what, but Claypool has not been as good this season as he has in years past. That happens to correlate with his slot usage.
So, the question will arise whether they keep him in the slot, where Pittsburgh was playing him, or if they move him back to the outside.
The bet would likely be that he goes back outside. Darnell Mooney has seen his snaps in the slot go up from 20.5% to 43.6% and then up to 59.1% this season. They probably want to keep Mooney in the slot and move Claypool back outside. However, one reason they may keep Claypool in the slot is that Equanimeous St. Brown is a much better blocker.
That could have Claypool moving back and forth between the slot and the outside.
Either way, they now have two players with slot and outside experience, and depending on if they want the size or the speed to stretch the field will decide who gets more snaps in that role. This is what Luke Getsy wants, and now the Chicago Bears can mix and match in guys like N’Keal Harry and Dante Pettis.
3. Chase Claypool brings Chicago Bears versatility
Chase Claypool is not what you expect from a slot wide receiver, as he stands 6’4″ and 238 pounds. However, before the NFL draft, there were fans and analysts who saw him as a potential stretch tight end, more than they even saw him as a wide receiver.
The Pittsburgh Steelers have experimented with this. Last season he took 16 snaps as an in-line tight end, and this season he already has 14 snaps in that role. It is minimal, but they put him in line to get him matched up with linebackers.
They also can get Claypool the ball to the flats on quick dump-offs and passes that get the ball in his hands quickly. This is where Claypool can create.
In fact, beyond playing tight end, Claypool has also been used as a rusher throughout his career in Pittsburgh. Claypool has 32 career rushes for 167 yards and two rushing touchdowns. He has eight carries for 55 yards this season.
The Steelers even branched off the idea of giving Claypool the end around, and he threw a touchdown pass on Sunday against the Eagles.
This adds some real value to the game of Chase Claypool. He can play in the slot, tight end, and can take handoffs. We have already seen that Luke Getsy will get wide receivers involved in the running game.
They have four wide receivers with a rushing attempt already. If there is one thing you can bet on, it is that the Chicago Bears will hand a football off to Chase Claypool.
2. Chase Claypool’s Career stats
Chase Claypool broke out as a rookie, and he has not quite hit those marks since. He hit 932 yards his first NFL season, then had 885 yards the next year. This year, he is on pace for much closer to 700 yards. This would happen when they go from Ben Roethlisberger to a rookie.
It also has been noted that the slot may not be the best spot for him. Beyond that, his numbers are down across the board. His yards after the catch per attempt is down from 5.1 to 3.1. Also, his yards per route run are down from 1.9, to 1.67, and 1.03.
To be fair to him, his average depth of target is down from 13.6 to 12 and now at 10.5. Also, his drop rate is at 3% this season, which is down from 7% as his career mark.
Lastly, he is better at contested passes this season. He entered the season 27-69 in these situations, with a 39% catch rate. Now, he is at 53.8% this season.
So, the Steelers using him closer to the line, and in the slot has hurt him. It is likely the quarterback’s play did not help his yards after the catch. However, Claypool has been playing fine despite the drop in numbers, as shown by his lack of drops and increased contested completions.
1. Chase Claypool brings an insane athletic profile to Chicago Bears
One of the big reasons that Chase Claypool was such a riser during the NFL draft process was that he had an insane NFL combine. Below you can see how he compares to Darren Waller. The comparison makes sense because the tight end talk was around back then, and the Steelers move him into a slot/tight end role this season.
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Beyond that, it just highlights how athletic Claypool is and what type of player the Chicago Bears have now. Even if he is not a tight end, to have an athlete similar to Darren Waller would be helpful.
One thing to bring up is that he does not have a shuttle or 3-cone time. That is probably because he would not have done well, although you see that Waller struggled here, too.
If Claypool did have average times, he would be the same type of athlete as Waller. This should be exciting for the Chicago Bears. He is not an elite wideout, but he can do many things.
He can line up out wide, in the slot, at tight end, and take carries on end around. We saw Luke Getsy put athletes in good positions, so you have to trust that giving him Claypool could be for the best, not only for Claypool but Getsy.