The Chicago Bears offseason approach and 2023 draft targets

The Chicago Bears did the right thing by adding Chase Claypool to the mix. I am biased, but if you remember, I called that man the ultimate weapon a few years ago. I still believe he should have been taken instead of Cole Kmet, but if you were going to tell me I could have them both a couple of years later, I would slap your rump and call you silly. Trading for Chase Claypool makes sense in all of the right ways. If you have yet to read any other content on why I will share some reasons with you.

1. The free agent market looks awful. Even if it didn’t, look at what happened this off-season. Remember when people thought Mike Williams, Terry McLaurin, DK Metcalf, Chris Goodwin, Mike Gallup, and others were available? You don’t? Good teams don’t let these guys walk in free agency. Trades? Yes. Walk? No.
2. Don’t count on rookie receivers to change your team. Does the WR class in 2023 look good? Yes. Is it elite? No. At least, it doesn’t seem like it. Everybody must stop hoping for a Ja’Marr Chase, DeVonta Smith, or Justin Jefferson. For every one of them, there are numerous David Bostons, Kevin Whites (sigh), Cordarrelle Pattersons, and Courtland Suttons.
3. You can never have too many weapons. The Browns, Rams, Cheifs, Bengals, and Cowboys proved that. Yes, you need the quarterback. But even Eli Manning can win a Super Bowl (or two) with the right weapons.
4. It opens the door for the draft and free agency. Ryan Poles doesn’t have to hyperfocus on getting a weapon. Yes, he should bring in more. Grab another WR in free agency and the draft. But hyper-focus on what he feels is best for the team’s overall success.

I mentioned this in a previous article, but the rookie WR contract is the new rookie QB contract. As we get older, the Lamar Jacksons, Kyler Murrays, Joe Burrows, and Justin Herberts of the world are getting paid. Clearly, some still need to. The idea is to pay for weapons until your quarterback reaches their peak, then grab up rookie deals and roll with them until you find another rookie WR deal. It seems like common sense, but common sense is not that common.