IMAGE COURTESY OF PFF
In a day where we thought it would be nothing but crashing the ship, the Chicago Bears decided to make a major move to make their team better moving forward.
In what might go down in the most shocking move of the day, the Chicago Bears traded with the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool. The Bears will be sending a second and fifth-round pick to the Steelers. The second-round pick is their own and not the pick they obtained in the Roquan Smith trade that happened yesterday.
This is a huge move for the Bears moving forward. I do not care if you feel that they overpaid for a guy that has been pretty average since his rookie season, it shows Ryan Poles is ready to wheel and deal. This also shows that Ryan Poles is trying to build around his young quarterback, Justin Fields.
Do not forget about what Claypool has done in the past. Claypool has had a solid first two seasons in the NFL. He comes to the Bears and most likely takes over that number-one receiver role that Bears fans have been looking for. While it might not be the sexiest wide receiver that Bears fans have been looking for, it is a solid foundation to start at with Darnell Mooney and Claypool being two very solid wide receivers.
Claypool has 1.5 more years on his contract so that means they can round out this receiver core through the draft or in free agency this upcoming off-season. You also do not pay that price if you do not plan on extending him going forward.
Poles is committed to getting Fields weapons. It's a huge boost of confidence for the guy and it makes us as fans feel so much more confident that Fields doesn't have to target Dante Pettis almost every damn play.
This is not a move for right now but rather looking forward to next year. The Bears go into 2023 with a boatload of cap space and a handful of draft picks that Poles will use to improve this team. This move allows Fields to build chemistry with Claypool this season and then move on to 2023 looking to contend.
It is also quite hilarious that the team that is not contending (Bears) stole a receiver from a team that is trying to contend (Packers). Common Packers front office L.
So Bears fans, be happy about this. Poles is getting Fields weapons. We can lose every game the rest of the season and I will not care. If we keep seeing what Fields has been doing the past three weeks, that's all that matters. Add Claypool to the equation, and he should only look better.
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