Chicago Bears Free Agency: Identifying the best offensive free agents at each position
The Chicago Bears need depth at wide receiver
If we look at the Chicago Bears wide receiver group, they already have five guys who are a lock to make the team. D.J. Moore is now the WR1, while Chase Claypool is the WR2, and Darnell Mooney is the WR3. That is an awesome trio for Justin Fields to work with this season. He will not have the same excuses as he had last season. Remember, Claypool and Fields hardly played together when both were healthy and then Mooney was lost for the backend of the season. Having these three should make Fields' job easier in 2023. Velus Jones and Equanimous St. Brown are also likely to stick.
Names to consider and not the top names available at the position:
- Paris Campbell
- Olamide Zacchaeus
- Mack Hollins
- Miles Boykin
- Dante Pettis
- Demarcus Robinson
- Deandre Carter
- Keelan Cole
- N'Keal Harry
There are plenty of names to consider seeing it will just be a depth guy. Some of these guys might not be interested in signing in Chicago now that they don't have a clear path to playing time. Dante Pettis coming back might actually be the best move now. Pettis and St. Brown were the two players who weren't afraid to do gritty work like blocking. Pettis also adds value in the punt return game -- even if not much. However, I'm going to pick a guy who could step in and actually help should one of the starters go down with an injury.
My Bears Choice: Parris Campbell
Parris Campbell is coming off his best season to date. In year four, he started 16 games and was targeted 91 times. He came down with 63 of them for 623 yards and three touchdowns. Campbell is nothing more than a WR3 or WR4 on most teams. He has some connection to Matt Eberflus' staff even if on the opposite side of the ball. Campbell doesn't add much value on special teams though and I think that is one reason the Bears don't even look his way.