8 Wide Receivers Chicago Bears Should Target This Offseason
The Chicago Bears might be on the upswing after upending the Baltimore Ravens in Week 6, 27-24, but it is no secret the team has a serious problem at wide receiver.
That upset of the Ravens at home to tally only a second win of the season provides a good example. There, despite an improved quarterback situation thanks to rookie Mitchell Trubisky, three of the top four leaders in targets were tight ends or running backs—only two wideouts overall received targets all day.
We knew going into the season wideout would be a major problem, though. The front office tried to rejuvenate the depth chart with Kendall Wright and Markus Wheaton. But Kevin White fizzled out before another injury instead of developing, and Cameron Meredith—a breakout star from a year ago—also suffered a season-ending injury.
With Trubisky showing flashes of major upside, the Bears need to aggressively attack the position next year to find a complement or two alongside Meredith. Trades and free agency are on the table in this pursuit below.
Jordan Matthews
1 of 8
Jordan Matthews might not be what Bears fans have in mind when it comes to making a splash this offseason at wideout.
But keep in mind a few factors. One, the upcoming free-agent class isn't that great to begin with. The best players are getting long-term deals while guys such as Alshon Jeffery have to settle for one-year offers. Two, the Bears could use someone who can grow alongside Trubisky.
Matthews might be that guy. Despite 16 total touchdowns over his first two seasons before a predictable regression, the Philadelphia Eagles shipped him to the Buffalo Bills.
There, Matthews only has one touchdown through four games and suffered an injury sidelining him as of this writing. If he doesn't better produce, his trip to free agency might create a bidding war of sorts.
It's a bidding war the Bears should want to win. He's only 25 years old and wouldn't come off the field, making a nice running mate for Meredith and another new face.
Allen Hurns
2 of 8
Allen Hurns might be available for cheap next offseason.
He is an interesting piece because he has a 10-touchdown season under his belt and will only be 26 this offseason. But he's fizzled with the Jacksonville Jaguars in part because of a poor passing attack.
With a revamp under center on the way and prospects such as Keelan Cole and Dede Westbrook on the rise, the Jaguars might be comfortable getting a draft pick in exchange for Hurns.
There's upside here for a team like the Bears. The front office could buy low in a low-risk move and reap the benefits of giving Hurns a quarterback like Trubisky. While the 25-year-old wouldn't be the only move the team would need to make, he'd be a nice addition and come cheap.
Unlike the two names the Bears signed this offseason, Hurns has put up monster seasons and should have more on the way.
T.J. Jones
3 of 8
T.J. Jones won't register much on the recognition scale, but he would be an interesting chip available for cheap in free agency next year.
Jones has faded with the Detroit Lions, losing snaps to breakout rookie Kenny Golladay before he heads to the open market.
Granted, the Notre Dame product was more of a luxury development for the Lions in the first place given the fact he broke on to the team and showed well as a sixth-round pick in 2014.
With the Bears, Jones could provide some interesting competition, if not break into the starting rotation. He's a natural slot and all of 25 years old, making him a nice growth candidate with a young Bears offense.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
Taylor Gabriel
4 of 8
This one seems out of reach right now, yet the NFL is a strange place where unexpected things can unfold.
One would think the Atlanta Falcons will do whatever they can to keep Taylor Gabriel on the roster. But the player himself is a nice example of hinted unpredictability considering it looked like he'd fizzle out with the Cleveland Browns.
Instead, the Abilene Christian product scored six touchdowns with the Falcons a year ago. Already 26, the Falcons might choose to spend money elsewhere or he himself could want a bigger role, which he would certainly have in Chicago.
Explosive and a threat to score on every touch, short completions and screens to Gabriel could make life easy for Trubisky and open up the field for Meredith and others.
Jarvis Landry
5 of 8
Jarvis Landry is one of the more interesting upcoming free agents.
Former Browns general manager Michael Lombardi had heard rumblings about a trade before the season, and Landry also has an off-field issue clouding his future outlook.
On the field, Landry is one of the most reliable players in the league, though he hardly does any damage down the field or when it comes to touchdowns. He has at least 111 targets in each of his three seasons before this one, yet never more than five touchdowns.
Still, Landry is the type of player who opens up the field. The difference between his fit in Miami and Chicago would be the fact the Bears already have a No. 1 with Meredith and a potential stud tight end with Adam Shaheen.
Easy, chain-moving completions to the 24-year-old would change the complexion of the Bears offense in a hurry, though getting a name such as Landry will probably take overpaying.
Allen Robinson
6 of 8
Again, this is another odd upcoming free-agent class.
The knee-jerk reaction is to consider Allen Robinson one of the better wideouts in the league, especially since he's been able to excel in a miserable situation with the Jaguars at times.
Yet Robinson had a huge regression in 2016, scoring six times after 14 in 2015. He then went down with a season-ending knee injury in the first game of 2017, throwing his future with the team in doubt when remembering some of the other future-minded options the Jaguars have.
We can't know if Robinson will ever be the same, but a team with plenty of cap space such as the Bears might as well enter the race.
He flashed the ability of a No. 1 in Jacksonville and is only 24 years old, meaning the financial risk is worth it for a Bears team boasting what might be the worst group of wideouts in the league.
Sammy Watkins
7 of 8
Something seemed off when the rebuilding Bills were willing to trade away a former No. 4 pick.
Sammy Watkins didn't exactly fetch a high price after missing three games in 2015 and eight in 2016, either. Over five games with the Los Angeles Rams, though, he scored twice—perhaps suggesting the injury bug and outright fit really marred his outlook.
It will be interesting to see what sort of price the 24-year-old fetches on the open market if he makes it there. During his best season, which was all of 13 games, he averaged 17.5 yards per grab on the way to 1,047 yards and nine touchdowns.
In Chicago, at least, Watkins might finally be free of No. 1 wideout expectations. Not only would Meredith occupy the role, a strong running game and defense would help ease the pressure, provided his body can continue to withstand the rigors of the game.
Terrelle Pryor
8 of 8
Terrelle Pryor is another guy who had to settle for a one-year deal this past offseason, though his made a little more sense because teams seemed to have a hard time figuring out if the former quarterback's 1,000-yard season with the Cleveland Browns was a fluke.
The jury remains out in this regard through four games for the Redskins. It seems like he's having a hard time getting on the same page as the offense so far, although plenty of the season remains.
Part of the appeal with a guy such as Pryor for the Bears is the low-risk, high-reward nature of the signing. He's already 28 and if he remains level as he has so far, he won't be in a position to demand the biggest contract.
But a big-bodied wideout (6'4", 228 pounds) who can do the dirty work for a few years is a nice way to help along Trubisky while the front office invests draft picks in huge upside.
All contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless otherwise specified. Stats courtesy of NFL.com. All advanced metrics courtesy of Pro Football Focus.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
.png?w=480)
