The wide receiver position is a constant talking point for the Chicago Bears. Many in the media consider it the biggest weakness on the team. Not a good thing when you’re trying to build around a young quarterback in Justin Fields. GM Ryan Poles has said he believes the group is better than it gets credit for. Whether that is true or not remains undetermined. It hasn’t stopped people from calling on the team to add veteran help. Emmanuel Sanders was recently mentioned by Pro Football Focus. Now Adam Humphries has joined the discussion.
Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report mentioned the veteran as an option the team should consider. The reasons are straightforward. He has a solid track record production-wise, isn’t too old at 29 years old, and wouldn’t cost near the amount of money as somebody like Sanders would. That falls into the wheelhouse Poles has established since taking over. He doesn’t want to spend significant money on older players.
“Yes, there are better wide receivers on the free-agent market than Adam Humphries.
However, the fit with the Bears may be better than others with injury issues and high salary demands.
The 29-year-old can be used as a possession-based wide receiver in the middle of the field. He could complement the big-play threats the Bears have in Darnell Mooney and Byron Pringle.
Humphries caught 41 of his 62 targets last season in Washington, where he played in all 17 games. That last number is important because Chicago needs durable wide receivers to provide depth, rather than stars who come in and get hurt immediately.”
Adam Humphries isn’t flashy but he is effective.
He isn’t the biggest or fastest on the field, but he comes across as one of those reliable targets a quarterback needs on money downs. Every time Washington needed a first down in key situations, it felt like Humphries was the one getting open. His 41 catches for 383 yards might seem modest. Considering the quarterback issues with that team, the production wasn’t too bad. He has the ability to be a solid contributor.
The issue is the Bears likely won’t feel they need him. Adam Humphries tends to be at his best in the slot where his route running is most effective without a need for pure speed. Chicago already signed Byron Pringle to fill that role earlier in the off-season. He can do most of the same things and is faster. That said, Humphries would be a solid #4 option in the passing game in case one of their top three got hurt.
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Answers to this question will likely wait until the team sees what they have in training camp.
Nothing wrong with adding a solid #4 or 5 option and depth guy like this at a low cost !
Oh, and by the way, how is Adam Humphries better than Byron Pringle?
The only time Humphries ever outperformed Pringle’s best season was 2018.
So, he has underperformed for more years than Pringle? Does that make him better?
So did Matt Eberflus.
So did Luke Getsy.
So did Justin Fields.
Thanks for your support.
Well, let’s see. If the Bears don’t need him then their talent is already better than Humphries. So it may not be as bad as the pundits would lead you to believe.