The NFL is a league driven by incredible coincidences and twists of fate. The Chicago Bears know this better than most teams. One bounce of the ball, failed phone call or even a spider bite can change the winds of fate either for or against them. A perfect example is unfolded before their very eyes with rookie receiver Javon Wims.
The 7th round pick out of Georgia has been by far the biggest revelation of 2018 thus far in Chicago. He wasn’t the story at all when training camp began. That spotlight was reserved for fellow draft pick Anthony Miller. However, it would seem Wims had no intention of letting his teammate hog it. There has been no better receiver in preseason than him.
In four game, Wims has sliced up defenses for 225 yards on 15 catches including a touchdown. His mix of size, strength, leaping ability and underrated speed have stood out from the start. Suddenly a team that was devoid of receivers just one year ago looks stacked with them. Most will thank GM Ryan Pace for such a quality find.
The thing is Pace almost never had the opportunity.
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Javon Wims never would’ve been a Bear if not for another receiver
People like to forget about how bad the situation was last year. So bad that Pace was forced to trade a conditional 7th round pick to the Los Angeles Chargers for veteran Dontrelle Inman. It wasn’t a terrible trade but thankfully the conditions of the pick weren’t met and the Bears never had to surrender it. What many forget is just how close it was.
If Dontrelle Inman had caught 2 more passes last year the Bears would have had to give up their 7th rd pick: WIMS from r/CHIBears
According to the outlay of the trade, Inman needed 25 catches in a Bears uniform in order to fulfill the required conditions. He finished the season with 23. Those two extra catches would’ve meant nothing in a losing season. Rather they went to a greater cause, helping the Bears to keep the pick that ultimately turned into Wims.
Fate can be a tricky beast sometimes. It’s hard to count how many times the Bears were just a few spots short of landing a great player in the draft or simply didn’t have a pick in the right round. For the first time in what feels like forever, it seems like they caught a break. Wims is a Bear and he clearly has more ability than his draft status would indicate.
Thank you, Dontrelle. Your sacrifice hasn’t gone unnoticed.
