Why this Chicago Bears signing was smart
The Chicago Bears announced an extension for Equanimeous St. Brown. The deal is just a little over $1M and it is not guaranteed. It is also just for next season, so it is not a move that has St. Brown in the long-term plans.
However, St. Brown has definitely been a bright spot in the eyes of the coaching staff this season. He does a lot of the dirty work. The routes that he runs can often be set to free up another wide receiver, and he is one of the most active blockers in the NFL.
The Chicago Bears will always lean to the run with Justin Fields as the quarterback, so St. Brown fits the philosophy being built in Chicago. With all of that said, it is hard to see the team cutting St. Brown this summer, even though his roster spot is not guaranteed.
With that in mind, the team has four wide receivers locked into the room for next season.
They have Chase Claypool, Darnell Mooney, St. Brown, and Velus Jones. Most wide receiver rooms need just five or six athletes, so the team may not be adding much more at wide receiver.
While that initially comes off as concerning, the reality is that they have the depth needed, they now need a big starter. Velus Jones is not a fan favorite for now but should be a special team asset next season at the least.
Mooney and Claypool would be great as second and third wideouts, so if they added an alpha, the room would round out with St. Brown as the fourth wideout. That is the perfect role for him and allows him to maintain his role as the dirty work receiver.
It also puts the Chicago Bears in a spot where they do not have to rebuild the entire room. One big name could put the entire group into place. However, it will be tough to get that big name.
If the team had to go out and spend assets filling the depth of the room, it would take away from what they can do to add an alpha player. They have their depth situated and do not have to spend many more resources on the room other than the big name. This makes it much easier to find that big name.
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So, the Chicago Bears’ rebuild of the WR room has been a slow ramp-up, rather than a complete overhaul. They stuck with Mooney who they kept, signed ESB, drafted Jones, traded for Claypool, and now are hoping they are one big swing away from having the room looking the way they had planned.