While the Chicago Bears offense has plenty of needs to sort through, they’re at least fairly straightforward. Find consistency at quarterback. Improving the run blocking up front. Add a tight end who can catch the ball. Focus on adding speed at wide receiver. That last one became even more vital after the Bears decided to part ways with Taylor Gabriel. The problem is they don’t have a lot of money to spend and fast receivers are typically a sought-after commodity in the NFL. This is why they should take a calculated risk on Marcus Johnson.
Don’t feel bad if you haven’t heard the name. Most people outside of Indianapolis haven’t. A former undrafted free agent out of Texas, he started his career in Philadelphia in 2017. From there he was traded to Seattle but didn’t last long. Eventually, he landed with the Indianapolis Colts as a backup. He had some nice flashes in 2018 before disappearing again. Then last year he started to emerge down the stretch.
Over the final five games of the season, he had 230 yards and one touchdown. He averaged 19.17 yards per catch in that time, showcasing legitimate vertical speed. Not a surprise after reported running a 4.38 at his pro day. Johnson looks like a talent who is trending up in his career. He has some familiarity with the type of system the Bears run. On top of that, the Colts have made him available as a restricted free agent, choosing not to tender him.
Marcus Johnson is quite a story in NFL terms
By rights, Johnson should no longer be in the league. He didn’t do much of anything in college. Across three seasons he managed just 793 yards and four touchdowns. The guy was a complete unknown and likely viewed as a camp body who could run pretty fast. That he was able to survive being dismissed by two different teams and take advantage of his few opportunities is a testament to his resilience and work ethic.
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The Bears should be able to get him for cheap and give him an opportunity to take his career to the next step. Nobody is saying it’s THE solution for the offense’s speed problem but it would be a notable jolt to their heart rate. This is the kind of player Ryan Pace loves to target.
