Ryan Poles’ first offseason as general manager of the Chicago Bears was defined just as much by what he didn’t do as by what he did. Most notably, fans and members of the media were highly critical of Poles for failing to surround young quarterback Justin Fields with playmakers.
While other quarterbacks from the 2021 class, such as Trevor Lawrence and Zach Wilson, were given new top receivers, with Jacksonville signing Christian Kirk to a massive deal and New York selecting Garrett Wilson in the first round of the draft, Chicago opted to sit tight, drafting Velus Jones Jr. in the third round and signing a slew of veterans to one-year deals.
The Chicago Bears could add one of these WRs through free agency or a trade
This quantity-over-quality approach to team building has ultimately been unsuccessful. The Chicago Bears have had one of the worst wide receiver units in the league, and their offense has suffered as a result. Even the mid-season addition of Chase Claypool has yet to pay off.
Poles and the rest of the Bears’ front office have a chance to write their wrongs from a year ago and give their young quarterback some better weapons. With the Chicago Bears currently slated to draft in the top three in the 2023 draft, they won’t be in a position to take a wide receiver until the late second round at the earliest.
This means that if Chicago really wants to improve its receiving core, it will have to be done through signings and trades. Here are some of the top free agent and trade targets at wide receiver for the 2023 offseason