CHICAGO — The Bears are 5-1, undefeated in their conference, but the same questions heading into this season surrounding their ailing offense, remain.
So far in 2020, Chicago ranks 25th in total points with 125. While much of this has to do with a run-game that averaged just 2.5 yards-per-carry against a bottom-ten run defense in Carolina, another reason is the lack of explosive playmakers Matt Nagy has at his disposal.
According to Pro-Football-Reference, the Bears average an anemic 3.8 yards after the catch, fourth-worst in the league. You can blame Nagy’s play conservative play-calling, you can blame the offensive line for giving Nick Foles an average of 1.9 seconds before the pocket collapses or, if you’re the Bears, you can go out and get a speedy playmaker to complement Allen Robinson.
Here are five options the Bears should consider trading for prior to the November 4th trade deadline, in no particular order:
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5: AJ Green
The Bengals have two solid, young receivers in Tyler Boyd and Tee Higgins, both with more yards and touchdowns than the 32-year-old Green thus far. Boyd is also the clear number one option for young QB Joe Burrow, leading the team in targets.
At 1-4-1, they will look to sell and continue their rebuild while sitting in the basement of the league’s best division.
For the Bears, this move is very low-risk. Green is on a one-year deal, so depending on the level of draft pick you give up it shouldn’t be an expensive pick-up. If he flops or gets hurt, let him walk at the end of the year.
4: Will Fuller
The Houston Texans are a mess. They traded arguably the most talented wide receiver in the NFL in DeAndre Hopkins, and they now sit at 1-5 in the basement of their division with the Jaguars, a far-less talented team.
Will Fuller has breakaway speed, great hands (68.3% catch rate), averages 11.1 yards per target, and is a great red-zone target.
Fuller would be an ideal complement to Allen Robinson. He’s also a UFA after the season, putting the risk level very low for a cap-stricken Bears team.
3: Jamison Crowder
We may have bashed the Bengals and Texans above, but trust us there is no team worse than the New York Jets. They have the worst head coach in the league, remain winless in 2020, traded a top-five safety, and are officially out of household names after cutting LeVeon Bell.
Jamison Crowder is the best offensive player for the Jets. He leads them in yards, yards per target (13.2), and would give the Bears a huge boost. He’s only due $8.5 million of his base salary this season and has a team option for 2021 of $10 million. Again, minimal risk and a high reward for an offense that desperately needs action in the slot.
2: DaVante Parker
Parker has been stealing the show for the Miami Dolphins this season. The Athletic and Bleacher Report both say the Dolphins are shopping Parker, and have “talked to multiple teams” about him. Whether or not this is true, Parker is a very middle-of-the-pack NFL wide receiver that is an immediate upgrade over Anthony Miller.
The Dolphins sit at 3-3 and may choose to hang onto their best wideout, especially with expanded playoffs. But if you’re the Bears, this is definitely worth a phone call.
1: Odell Beckham Jr.
Is it likely? No. Is it possible? Yes.
Beckham Jr. is a fantasy scenario for Bears fans but would take this offense to a Super Bowl level. Baker Mayfield was benched in his last outing with the Browns, a game in which Beckham was targeted only four times.
It is highly unlikely the Browns will trade OBJ because they are 4-2, have a dynamic running game, and a coach not named Freddy Kitchens.
Their issue sits at QB. Mayfield has been a disappointment, considering he was the first overall pick. It is much more likely the Browns do exactly what the Bears did this past offseason and go pick up a QB to compete for the starting spot.
It’s a very real possibility that OBJ could request a trade; however, he is set to make around $14 million over the next three seasons. With the Bears current payroll and still no contract for Allen Robinson, this is as close to a pipe dream as you can get.
The other four options listed above are very possible, however.
At the end of the day, analytics and the eye test of a fair-weather fan can agree that the Bears need a dynamic pass-catcher. They’re 5-1 and it’s time to get ready for the playoffs.
