Chicago Bears fans are an anxious bunch. That is nothing new. So many years without true postseason success can make people impatient. The fact that GM Ryan Poles has taken a methodical approach to free agency thus far has made it easy for fans to overly criticize every move he makes. So when the team finally signed their first wide receiver of the 2022 offseason, it was met with an avalanche of condemnation.
Equanimeous St. Brown is hardly a household name. A 6th round pick of the Green Bay Packers in 2018, he had a promising rookie season with 328 yards in 12 games. Expectations were high going into his second year, but everything was derailed when he suffered a serious ankle injury during the preseason. He landed on injured reserve and didn’t play the entire season. That setback seemed to erode what little momentum he had. St. Brown failed to get many opportunities on offense in 2020 or 2021 with just 16 total catches for 215 yards.
Now he seeks a fresh opportunity in Chicago.
Chicago Bears expected to sign Equanimeous St. Brown, per a league source
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) March 17, 2022
It isn’t a surprise he’d sign with the Bears. Luke Getsy was the Packers’ passing game coordinator since 2019. The wide receiver knows the coach well and vice versa. St. Brown offers considerable untapped talent. He’s 6’4 with 4.4 speed and flashes reliable hands. He also demonstrated decent route-running skills during his limited chances on offense. One other thing is this wide receiver doesn’t fear contact.
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Equanimeous St. Brown
– Good patience w/ bringing the LOS to defender before making his moves/ release
– Uses inside arm to swipe defenders arm
– Explodes upfield
– Jab at the top of the stem
– Snaps head around right away, locates the ball
– Quick reaction with move after catch pic.twitter.com/M8JIB4qpEI— Ted Nguyen (@FB_FilmAnalysis) August 14, 2018
Nice effort from Equanimeous St. Brown, led to an Aaron Jones score.pic.twitter.com/fqxIXEMmoN
— Dov Kleiman (@NFL_DovKleiman) November 22, 2020
Don’t get it twisted. St. Brown is not the answer at wide receiver the Bears are seeking. They don’t view him as their eventual #1 or even #2 option. He is most likely a #4 that can step in if necessary. His greater value may be on special teams. The 25-year old experienced quite a breakthrough in the third phase last season, finishing with seven tackles on kick and punt coverage. Players like that are valuable. The Chicago Bears recognize this.
