It is no secret that the Chicago Bears must improve their receiving core this offseason. Their glaring lack of talent at the position made Chicago’s offense look like a one-man show, as Justin Fields was forced to carry the team on his shoulders far too often this season. While they would also be wise to invest in the offensive line, they have more than enough cap space (over $100 million) to drastically improve both areas in the coming months.
Considering the amount of cap space the Bears have at their disposal, they will definitely be buyers on the trade market. However, Ryan Poles has emphasized the importance of building the roster through the draft, so it is conceivable that he won’t want to part ways with valuable draft capital to land a proven pass-catcher. On the other hand, it would not be a surprise to see the Bears take a big swing (well, only as big as the market will allow) at finding a starting-caliber receiver via free agency.
There is no sugarcoating it- This year’s class of free agent pass-catchers leaves an awful lot to be desired. Not only does the group lack star power, but it also lacks depth, as very few players on the open market would start on a competent offense. With that said, the Chicago Bears trotted out Dante Pettis, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Nsimba Webster to play receiver this year. The only way to go is up, and they are in no position to be picky.
While this year’s crop of free agents might not boast a who’s who of impressive pass-catchers, the group still features some players who have yet to reach their ceiling. These are the type of players that Chicago should target, as their asking price is much less than it would be if they had already established themselves as proven commodities. Luckily for the Bears, some of these receivers also seem like great fits for the offense.