Rumor: Bears could add former Raiders WR for rotational piece |
We are going on three weeks since the Bears benched Chase Claypool, which led to a trade, and things in the locker room are much better. However, since making that trade, the Bears WR is still short-handed and could use at least one more body to help this offense. While there will be some names available, most of them would have to come via the trade market, and the Bears may not be in a position to buy come October 31.
However, Chicago could add WR help via the free agent market, and one name that is starting to pop up is former Raiders WR Bryan Edwards as a potential target. The former third-round pick has had some success in the past but hasn't consistently been able to put it together long-term. Knowing he is a player, that would come cheap, and the Bears could take a flyer deal out on him to see what he can bring to the table. The 6-3, 215-pounder WR possesses that size and speed combination that coaches covet, and he would add that element to the Bears WR that lacks overall size across the board. Edwards has been out of football all season, and after catching just seven passes with the Falcons in 2022, you could make the case that he has gone more than two seasons without consistently producing. Clearly, that has to be a concern for Chicago or any team looking to add his services, but considering he is still just 25 years old and what it would cost to bring him to Chicago, this is one of those low-risk, high-reward signings worth the risk. His last successful season came in 2021 while with the Raiders, but that was a much better situation than last year. That year, Edwards had Derek Carr as his QB and was paired with Henry Ruggs and Hunter Renfroe, making him the third option among WRs. Having Darren Waller on the team often found Edwards as the team's fourth option, yet he put up numbers that would have been close to leading Chicago in 2022 as he finished the 2021 season with more than 600 yards receiving across his 12 starts. No one would expect Edwards to come into any situation and be the top option, but he is certainly worth taking a flyer on, as he could be someone worth building your support cast around. If the Bears are interested or even looking at Edwards, all they would have to do is offer him a contract for this season or, at the very worst, for two years, as that would allow them to keep him around through next season to see what he can all do. After trading away Claypool, the Bears WR room is relying on DJ Moore and Darnell Mooney as their top two options, while Rookie Tyler Scott, Velus Jones Jr, and Equanimeous St. Brown are other options for Fields to throw to. No disrespect to any of them, but Edwards is a better option than either of those guys and would instantly improve a WR room that hasn't been great apart from Moore. Not only did the Bears trade Claypool away, but St. Brown landed on the injured list last week, which puts this team in an even tougher spot. Scott saw a nice uptick in snaps last week and showed potential, but it will take more than three WRs to get this offense back on track. Considering the Bears could get Edwards for the veteran minimum, why not bring him in as a rotational piece and see if he can take advantage of a fresh start? The goal for the past two offseasons was to surround Justin Fields with as much offensive talent as possible and bring in young guys to build around. Edwards is still a young guy and would be another piece that Fields could establish a long-term connection with.
