The Chicago Bears have played most of their games close this season. It is a sign of their commitment to playing hard but also their lack of front-line talent on both sides of the ball. Nowhere is that clearer than at wide receiver. Outside of Darnell Mooney, nobody has stepped up to become a viable weapon for Justin Fields. Equanimeous St. Brown has been okay. Dante Pettis is a train wreck. Velus Jones only just returned from his hamstring injury. Byron Pringle remains on IR. They are short on proven options.
GM Ryan Poles would no doubt love to find help if the price tag isn’t too steep. The problem is such opportunities are exceedingly rare. Timing is everything, though. Things are happening down in Carolina. The Panthers have fired head coach Matt Rhule after a 1-4 start to the season. It was only the third year of his seven-year contract too. Not only is the team staring at limited cap space in 2023, but few draft picks as well.
That is why multiple insiders predict they could have a firesale before the trade deadline on November 1st to stockpile both.
David Tepper handed Matt Rhule a controversial contract, and @ConorOrr says the Panthers will feel the effects of his tenure for a while now https://t.co/CidlwNbB22
— The MMQB (@theMMQB) October 10, 2022
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Teams will now be calling the Panthers trying to trade for some of their players as they hope Carolina will look to stockpile picks as they rebuild
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) October 10, 2022
The Panthers will have to eat salary to move guys like CMC and Robbie Anderson and the expectation around the industry, as reported previously in @washingtonpost, is that they will be very willing to do just that
— Jason La Canfora (@JasonLaCanfora) October 10, 2022
D.J. Moore should be a Chicago Bears target.
There are several big contracts the Panthers might try to unload. Moore is one of them. The 25-year-old wide receiver signed a three-year extension for $61 million this off-season. His cap hit balloons to $25 million in 2023. That is a problem for Carolina. It wouldn’t be for the Bears, who are projected to have $115 million in space. Moore has cracked 1,000 yards receiving in each of the past three seasons despite ongoing quarterback problems. His speed and playmaking ability would be an instant boost for Justin Fields.
It comes down to how much Carolina demands in return. Poles isn’t likely to surrender any high draft choices. However, if the Panthers would accept a 4th round pick to take that contract off their hands, it is absolutely something the Chicago Bears should consider. Moore is a good player that defenses don’t like going against. They have enough cap space to handle the money, and he’s in his prime. The odds aren’t high. Still, it is something to monitor.
