The Chicago Bears have been busy to start free agency. Two trades for guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney followed by aggressive moves for center Drew Dalman, defensive end Dayo Odenyingbo, and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett. Head coach Ben Johnson said the aim was to win now, and the team’s actions reflect that. The rebuild is over. It is time to win some games. With the trenches addressed, some wonder what GM Ryan Poles has planned next. The work isn’t finished. Other areas of the roster could use some work.
One of them is wide receiver. While D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze offer a strong tandem moving forward, there is a belief inside the organization that they should do something about that third spot. According to a source, the Bears are interested in three prominent names on the veteran market. One is Brandin Cooks, the well-traveled speedster who has six 1,000-yard seasons in his career. Another is Tyler Lockett, the former three-time All-Pro from the Seattle Seahawks.
Last and most notable is five-time Pro Bowler Amari Cooper. The source says Chicago is most interested in him.
The Chicago Bears are hoping to take advantage of a loaded market.
There might not be any star receivers available in their prime years, but there is no shortage of big names. Don’t forget that Keenan Allen, Robert Woods, Stefon Diggs, Mike Williams, and Tyler Boyd are still available. Cooper turns 31 in June. He is fresh off helping the Buffalo Bills reach the NFC championship last season, though he wasn’t as big of a contributor as he would’ve liked. He is certain to have interest elsewhere. Joining Johnson in Chicago to play with Caleb Williams may seem appealing to him. Of course, it all comes down to money. The Bears may hope to land one of them at a reasonable price. Cooper can’t expect anywhere close to the $20 million per year he’s made over the past few seasons.
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Don’t be surprised if the team also tries to bring back Allen. There is a chance his market may not materialize as hoped. He and Williams developed clear chemistry towards the end of last season. If Cooper or one of the other targets prove out of reach, the Chicago Bears could pivot back to him.
WR’s generally do not age well. I warned about Allen last offseason and he showed his age with his play (especially the drops). One year stop gap contracts should not go to Amari Cooper types. Total of 12 games played in last 2 season. That’s not a red flag, that’s red mushroom cloud. Great point about no block no rock
If you want a wide receiver that gets it and blocks, then the best one is Cooper Kupp. The problem is he is very injury-prone and will probably cost you 15m+. Idk that I would drop 15m on him, add another guy that will affect Rome’s development, and probably only have him for half the year. I’d lean more toward something Ben Johnson has done in Detroit, Tim Patrick. Good slot guy with great hands and knows the kind of things Ben likes to run. It will cost about a 3rd of Cooper Kupp, and he is truly a slot… Read more »
Well, this article is a miss. Cooper basically doesn’t block at all. BenJ said, “no block, no rock,” so signing Cooper would be a waste of a roster spot, several million dollars, and the chance to get a player that could contribute. Lockett is a much better choice, even Cupp. For a WR3, they all can catch pretty well to good but not great, get open sometimes, and are better or worse blockers – it comes down to the contract.
Out of that group of FA’s that Lambert named: the best blocking wide receiver that also plays some slot would be Robert Woods.
One thing Lambert did not mention is that Rome Odunze was highly rated last year as a run blocker. Maybe he’ll just spend a lot of time in the slot and they’ll find another wide receiver for the outside.
Ahhh I see… not only does qb1 need an all-pro offensive line, top notch coaching staff, multiple good TEs, a good running game, a good defense and a very good receiving corps to be successful, he needs an ELITE receiving corps. Good thing we burned that 1:01 on a guy who needs everything to be perfect to win games.