Losing Cordarrelle Patterson felt inevitable for the Chicago Bears coming into this offseason. He was coming off his second All-Pro season in a row for the team. That gave him enough leverage to continue demanding a considerable amount of money. Money the Bears simply don’t have. As weeks passed, the hints from the man himself offered more than enough evidence that his time in Chicago was over.
Finally, confirmation arrived when Patterson signed a one-year deal to join the Atlanta Falcons. The cost being $3 million. This furthers a legacy of great Bears return men taking their talents to Georgia. Devin Hester did the same in 2014. Fans and teammates are saddened by the revelation. Patterson was a beloved teammate and connected well with people during his two-year stint on the Bears.
The #Falcons have agreed to terms with WR/returner Cordarrelle Patterson on a one-year, $3 million deal, source says. The four-time All-Pro selection officially headed to Atlanta.
— Mike Garafolo (@MikeGarafolo) April 15, 2021
Sadly, the team can’t afford to mourn for too long.
They have business to take care of. The obvious question follows this news. What are they going to do about the kick returner position with Patterson gone? They have a couple of in-house options they might consider. Tarik Cohen is returning from his torn ACL. Already their primary punt returner, they could move him there was well. Second-year running back Artavis Pierce is another possibility.
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If neither of those options sounds appealing, then they will look to the outside for answers. One name that remains available who could help is Dion Lewis. The running back has spent time with the Eagles, Patriots, Titans, and most recently the Giants. During that time he developed a reputation as a versatile weapon on offense. What people tended to forget is he was also a solid kick returner. Last season New York put him back there and he ended up posting 538 yards. A total of 22.4 per return.
Lewis is not Cordarrelle Patterson but he can do the job
The important thing here is cost. Lewis won’t demand a high price tag. He turns 31 in September and everybody knows running backs that old have a hard time finding work. If he’s intent on continuing his career, then the odds are good he’ll accept a cheap deal to join the Bears. Will he accept a primary role as a kick returner? Probably. He showed last season he can still be good at it.
Besides that, it isn’t like he’d be exiled from the offense. Matt Nagy loves to get lots of different players involved on that side of the ball. A player like Lewis with his pass-catching ability alone would appeal to the Bears head coach. This is a signing that makes sense from every possible point of view: scheme fit, roster need, and financial.
Will the Bears pursue it?
Not right away. Replacing Cordarrelle Patterson is important but not the most pressing issue for them right now. Their focus remains on the upcoming NFL draft. Perhaps they’ll seek their new returner during that three-day event. If not, the odds are favorable Lewis will still be out there after the draft is over. They can afford to wait on that.