2021 Chicago Bears Preview: Wide Receiver

By Kevin Schroeder
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Updated: September 10, 2021

(Photo credit: Yahoo)

Allen Robinson returns after a season that saw him finish two receptions over the century mark and rack up 1250 yards. That makes back-to-back years with over 1000 yards for the former Nittany Lion. As such, the man wants to get paid, a desire that clashes with Bears General Manager Ryan Pace’s aversion to paying big money to wide receivers. After talks during the off-season failed to yield a deal, Robinson will play the 2021 season on the franchise tag. Hopefully, this means a big season for the Bears’ number one target. Early returns from camp tell of a man determined to get paid. Less turbulence at the QB position should help in the matter. What’s Robinson’s standing with the team after this season? Dunno. Your author’s best guess at the moment is that he’s playing elsewhere, but maybe Pace can dangle the prospect of catching passes from Justin Fields in front of him and persuade him to stay.

A fifth-round pick in the 2020 Draft, Darnell Mooney was a very pleasant surprise a year ago. From last year’s preview:

“Your author had cautioned against expecting too much from him too soon as receiver is one of the more difficult positions at which to adjust to the NFL, but he’s drawing praise that goes beyond the standard “oh, yeah, the rookie looks good,” so maybe there’s a chance. Your author is still somewhat bearish (no pun intended) given that the team can somewhat control the narratives coming out of camp since there are no fans there.”

The camp hype proved to be well-earned. The Tulane product caught 61 passes for 631 yards with 4 TDs. Given that receiver is a position that usually takes a little longer to adjust to the NFL, this is more than encouraging. From the 2020 draft recap post:

“Mooney’s a smaller, speedy receiver with quality route running skills. A very high-upside prospect, plenty of fans are already predicting that he’ll turn out to be the steal of the draft. Mooney’s got all the tools and can play on the outside or in the slot, but does need to work on his hands. In a draft that’s less deep at wide receiver, Mooney almost certainly goes a round or two higher.”

Hands were not a concern. Otherwise, bang-on. Between that strong rookie season and impressive play thus far in camp, this space predicts a breakout season.

Marquise Goodwin is a new addition in 2021. A third-round pick in 2013 by Buffalo, Goodwin’s time with the Bills was hampered by injuries. When on the field, he was a capable, but unspectacular receiver. Goodwin signed with San Francisco in in 2017 and had a breakout season, catching 56 passes for 962 yards and 2 TDs. The next two years in the Bay Area saw him fail to match that productivity, with injuries again factoring in. Goodwin opted out of the 2020 season. Goodwin brings some speed to the offense and will likely fill the slot role vacated by Anthony Miller after his trade to Houston. That the Bears felt comfortable enough in what they had to trade Anthony Miller is a positive sign; thus far in camp, one can see why they felt comfortable making the trade, as Goodwin has looked capable of filling the slot role, hopefully with fewer stupid ejections.

Adding speed was clearly a priority for the Bears this off-season as they not only added Goodwin, but also Damiere Byrd. Byrd ran a 4.28 40-yard dash at his pro day in 2015, but still went undrafted. Carolina picked him up and put him on their practice squad, where he spent his entire rookie year. In 2016, he caught the only pass thrown his way. He cracked the century mark in receiving yards and had a pair of touchdowns the following year, but in 2018, he again had only one reception and was mainly a punt returner. Following that season, he signed with Arizona, where his role in the passing game expanded and he caught 32 passed for 352 yards and a touchdown. He spent 2020 with the Patriots, where he started most of the season and caught 47 passes for 604 yards and a touchdown. Your author can confirm that Byrd can fly – that 4.28 40 time may be legit. Byrd will compete with Goodwin for snaps in the slot and may be deployed on the outside to take the top of defenses with his speed. Byrd also figures to be the punt returner. Byrd was a pretty under-the-radar signing, but this is a move that has the potential to pay off big.

What if we built the entire offense out of slot-type guys? That appears to be the question Ryan Pace asked himself this off-season, because in addition to signing Marquise Goodwin and Damiere Byrd, the Bears drafted Dazz Newsome in the sixth round of the NFL Draft. Your author is certainly not complaining about this, as he had a third-round grade on the former Tar Heel. Newsome went over the 1000-yard mark as a junior before his productivity fell in 2020, where he finished with only 684 receiving yards, despite playing in the same number of games. That drop in production, coupled with a disappointing pro day where Newsome ran just a 4.59 40 may be why he slid in the draft. Your author is still bullish on Newsome, though, as he looks both faster and quicker on tape than his pro day results would lead you to believe. After breaking his collarbone and missing the start of camp, Newsome is working to make up ground, but may only see limited action, as, of the trio of slot-type guy additions, Newsome is the least suited to also spend time on the outside. Newsome is also capable of returning punts.

A pair of former Georgia Bulldogs, Riley Ridley and Javon Wims, will look to compete for spots on the roster. A seventh-round pick in 2018, Wims is a big-bodied receiver, which would be an asset if his route running and hands were anything to write home about. Wims’ most notable use of his hands in a Bears uniform came during the 2020 season against New Orleans when he punched Saints DB C.J. Gardner-Johnson. Riley Ridley couldn’t beat Wims out for playing time after Wims returned from his suspension for the incident and hasn’t looked like anything special in camp. If your author had to pick one of these guys to keep, it would be Wims. That said, your author would prefer to take a chance on Rodney Adams than keep either of them.

Twitter: @KSchroeder_312