Even as the Chicago Bears continue their pursuit of an upgrade at quarterback, the rest of the offense has work to do as well. This team desperately needs some of their young players to take the next step in development. Cole Kmet is obviously one as the top pick of the 2020 draft class. Yet most people are excited about what’s to come for Darnell Mooney.
Nobody was a bigger revelation this past season than the 5th round pick out of Tulane. Most people saw a skinny kid who ran really fast that might be a nice deep threat they could once every so often. Nobody realized just how good Mooney actually was. His route running and intelligence far exceeded expectations, leading him to set the Bears rookie record for receptions in a season.
Was he happy with the year he had?
Well, not exactly. Mooney was thrilled to have the opportunity to play and become a key member of the Bears’ passing attack. Yet when it comes to his actual performance on the field? The kid wasn’t seeing the results he wanted. There were plenty of things he could’ve done better. Starting with catching the football. Even though he had just one drop on the season, that was too much in his eyes according to NBC Sports Chicago.
“The goal this year was zero, and the ball that I dropped was the easiest catch I could’ve ever made throughout the whole season,” Mooney said. “It was upsetting. It was upsetting me throughout the whole game. They were just trying to tell me to forget about it, but one thing I’m trying to do is be a perfectionist, and I dropped it. So I’ve just got to strive for it next year.”
It’s becoming easy to see why Mooney is having so much success this early in his career. His work ethic is reportedly something to watch. The time and energy he puts in before, during, and after practice all funnels into his performance on game days. Expectations are high for him with some seeing the next DeSean Jackson. If the Bears can find him a quarterback, it could be something to watch.
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Bears could be pursuing a perfect Darnell Mooney companion
One thing they failed to unlock this past season was Mooney’s deep speed. Despite numerous instances of the young receiver getting wide open down the field, the Bears quarterbacks routinely weren’t able to find him. They either failed to see him or just didn’t throw an accurate enough pass to give him a chance. That could change if recent rumors turn out to be true.
It’s speculated the Bears are in the running to land veteran quarterback Carson Wentz. The 28-year old had a rough season in 2020, so there are plenty of skeptics of him. Still, as recently as 2019 he was playing some good football in Philadelphia. One of his best traits? He’s an accomplished deep ball passer, connecting on 51.9% of his throws beyond 21 yards according to Football Outsiders. Good enough to rank him ninth-best in the league.
Mitch Trubisky was 17th by comparison.
So Darnell Mooney could be at least one person who benefits from such a trade. If nothing else, it’s reasonable to expect the young receiver will be ready regardless of who is under center in 2021. Hopefully Allen Robinson will still be around, giving the Bears a strong one-two punch in the passing game. Just don’t expect a subtle reaction if the kid happens to drop another pass.