The Dontrelle Inman trade was celebrated by Chicago Bears fans. It was a representation that GM Ryan Pace was not ignorant of his teams’ situation. Injuries have wreaked havoc on their wide receiver position. As a result rookie quarterback Mitch Trubisky has struggled to get the passing offense off the ground despite tireless efforts.
To date, the #2 overall pick hasn’t even topped 200 yards passing in a game yet. That’s hard to stomach considering Deshaun Watson flirted with 500 yards in Seattle this past Sunday. So much of this has to do with the weaponry. The Bears are scraping the bottom of the barrel. Some people love to shout blame at offensive coordinator Dowell Loggains for his play calling, but that’s only a part of the problem.
Talent can often overcome such issues. Last year is a perfect example. The Bears threw for over 4,000 yards with that same play calling. Why? They had Alshon Jeffery. They had Cameron Meredith. Now they have neither. What people might not be grasping at this point is just how depleted they’ve become.
Dontrelle Inman trade was a plug in a leaky dam
People are already thinking Inman will solve the Bears most glaring issues at receiver. Sure the 28-year old veteran will help, but how much? A scout familiar with him from the AFC West where he played for the Chargers offered his impressions on him. Suffice to say it paints a crystal clear picture of how far this team has fallen.
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“Good size,” the scout said. “He was hurt in training camp so he didn’t do much at all this year. Last year was a bigger year for him. Solid. Reliable. Dependable. He’s realistically a fourth (wide receiver), a teams guy. But considering their depth, gosh he’s better than (Josh) Bellamy. He’s better than better Tre (McBride). Kendall Wright is obviously more talented but it’s a trade that works for both ends in an ideal world. His reps were declining even more with Mike Williams coming back in the mix now. Travis Benjamin making some plays.
“He’s not going to wow you. In an ideal world, like I said, he’s probably a fourth. In their situation, he’s going to climb up the chart. I like the (Tanner) Gentry kid. I think they need to keep that guy. Off the preseason tape, I thought there was some stuff to him. It takes time. They’ve got a young quarterback and they need to find a guy for him to develop a relationship with. We’ll see. They’re hurting so bad. I don’t know what the market looks like on teams’ practice squads right now. So the trade works for both.”
In essence the a receiver who would be considered the fourth-best on a normal roster is suddenly in contention to be the #1 guy for Chicago. That is the state of things. If people weren’t sure how bad it was already, how about now? This Bears team is surviving on scraps discarded by other teams. There shouldn’t be any surprise that a rookie quarterback is struggling under those type of conditions.
