3 free agent receivers that need to be on the Chicago Bears radar

The Chicago Bears should be interested in D.J. Chark

D.J. Chark was someone that the Chicago Bears should have taken a flier on a year ago, but they have a chance to right their wrong this offseason. He instead signed with Detroit and had an impressive season as their top deep threat. While his numbers don’t jump off the board, he had a late-season resurgence and put up over 500 yards despite playing in only 11 contests (which projects to nearly 800 yards over a complete season).

The six-foot-four, 205-pound receiver not only fits the prototypical size that Ryan Poles seems to covet out of his pass-catchers, but he also possesses legit 4.3 speed that allows him to take the top off defenses. He had the seventh-best average yards-per-reception (16.7) and the fourth-best average-distance-of-target (15.4 yards) in the league, both of which are indications that he was a highly effective deep threat (ya know, if the eye test just wasn’t doing it for you).

Another positive about signing Chark is that the Bears will not have to break the bank on him. He signed a one-year $10 million prove-it deal with Detroit last year, and the contract he signs this offseason might be even less since he didn’t exactly prove it on the stat sheets and is still flying well under the radar. If Chicago can sign him to a deal that pays him around $8 million annually, they should absolutely jump at that opportunity.

Signing Chark would give the Chicago Bears three viable options on the perimeter, which would go a long way in helping Justin Fields’ development. He is only 26 years old, and there is reason to believe that we still have not seen the best he has to offer, as he has never played with an elite quarterback (although Goff admittedly played at a high level this season). Chark might never develop into a number one option, but what he does, he does well, and he could certainly help Chicago develop their deep passing game.