A couple of weeks ago, NFL insider Peter Schrager mentioned a series of wide receivers who could be on the trade market ahead of the deadline on November 5th. Perhaps the biggest surprise in that group was Keenan Allen. The Chicago Bears had just acquired the six-time Pro Bowler from the Los Angeles Chargers for a 4th round pick in the off-season. They had hoped he’d be a central part of their revamped passing attack around rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
Instead, a heel injury seems to have hampered him since training camp. In that time, D.J. Moore, Cole Kmet, and Rome Odunze haven’t had any issues carrying the load. Allen hasn’t quite found a groove since returning. While there is no reason to think he won’t be a factor at some point, the trade rumors haven’t gone away. Jeff Hughes of Da Bears Blog confirmed they are real. Depending on what happens the rest of October, it may influence what the organization decides to do.
(2) Keenan Allen. With only 10 catches on the season, there have actually been serious trade rumors surrounding Allen. But the truth of his tape is this: he’s not getting open enough. Understanding the Bears need to exploit the middle of the field, this is the week for Allen to kill Jacksonville with shallow crossing routes.
Keenan Allen is at the mercy of his health.
That has been the case, really, over the past couple of seasons. While he was still highly productive in L.A., he did miss several games with various injuries. It was one of the reasons the Chargers traded him in the first place. They felt his advancing age (32) and stacking list of health issues made his contract an unnecessary burden. Chicago had the cap space to handle it and felt he was worth the risk if it would help Williams. So far, the veteran receiver hasn’t looked like the player he’s been for the past decade.
The good news is Keenan Allen still has three games left before a decision can be made. Chicago plays Jacksonville in London this week. They’ve struggled to cover the middle of the field all season. That is a prime opportunity for him to go off. The bye week will then allow him further time to heal up. After that are Washington and Arizona, two more weak defensive teams. If he can’t get going through this stretch, the Bears may have to try unloading him before it’s too late.
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@Sam – you are preaching to the choir. I think Poles has done some good things. But I question if the good will outweigh the bad at the end of the day? It’s still not clear, IMO. The sad thing about Poles’ draft picks is that I really do believe him when he says he wants to build through the draft. That just makes sense, right? But he doesn’t seem to get that scouting and drafting kids is only part of the process. You need to have coaches who will train them up and play them, too. Look at Eberflus… Read more »
Scott’s role this year is to learn more about NFL offenses, continue to develop, and to step in if there are two injuries in the WR room, or during mop-up duty. Given that he’s on a 4th round rookie contract, a solid bargain.
I was going to post something along these lines today.
As our offense starts clicking, I think specifically Scott will be more involved.
Let’s say our opponent has a solid secondary, and our WRs have to work to get open. Guys will get gassed, and we can rotate guys in. I want guys fresh, running through their routes entirely. That’s why we took a QB that can extend the play.
@Sam I’ll paraphrase what Brad Biggs wrote yesterday (yes, regrettably, I do read his stuff): Who would you sit in order to get Scott on the field? You don’t sit DJ Moore. You probably don’t sit Odunze. Scott doesn’t really play the role they want Allen to play in the offense. So you’re either talking about a zero-RB or zero-TE set, and either of those options puts pass pro into question. Nobody on here wants Scott on the field to chip the edge. I can rip the pen a few times and -imagine- ways to get Scott on the field… Read more »
Tred – The sad part is B. Jones wasn’t even really a Poles pick. He outright said that was 100% a scout pick. Poles 1st draft, he said he gave rounds 5 and beyond to the area scouts, for each of them to make their own pick. Poles list of bad trades and bad FA choices are getting a bit too long. But hey, he is the one GM in NFL history that somehow gets the benefit of hindsight from fans. Not trying to all out bash Poles. But many fans on here talk like he is amongst the NFL’s… Read more »