The Chicago Bears appear poised to shake up their offense this offseason. With quarterback and the offensive line still in a holding pattern, it appears wide receiver will be the first position to see some action. Just not in the way some people might’ve expected. According to Adam Schefter, the team is actively looking to move out former 2nd round pick Anthony Miller via trade.
This can’t be called a big surprise. Miller’s 2020 season was one of the more disappointing in recent memory. After showing so much promise in 2019, he failed to crack 500 yards and scored just two touchdowns. The last memory people have of him was throwing a punch at a defensive back in the playoff loss to the Saints. This after being expressly warned all week to avoid that exact defender.
When George McCaskey himself expressed his disappointment? That was likely it.
Bears are having trade discussions with other teams regarding WR Anthony Miller, per sources. Miller is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and is a productive and talented slot receiver likely to be dealt.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2021
There will probably be a number of teams willing to deal for Miller. He’s flashed plenty of potential during his career. He’s had a number of games where he went off and took over. His problem has always been about consistency. Erratic route running, bad decision-making, and ill-timed dropped passes. The Bears just can’t trust him. This is why his snaps were slowly fed to others last year including breakout rookie Darnell Mooney.
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With the free agent market and the draft not short on possible alternatives, Chicago appears content to move forward with Mooney and Allen Robinson as their primary two receivers. It isn’t certain what Miller will command on the market. Perhaps a late round pick in the 5th-7th range. He’ll also bring them an additional $1.21 million in cap space.
Who could replace Anthony Miller in Chicago?
There are a number of options on the open market that could be affordable. Adam Humphries was recently released by the Tennessee Titans. He’s proven to be a dependable target in years past although the previous two seasons saw him struggle with injuries. The same for Taywan Taylor in Cleveland who is another option. Also, don’t forget Marvin Jones is a free agent too. The Bears saw plenty of him in Detroit and even though he’s 31, the guy is still a highly effective pass target.
There are bound to be options in the draft as well. While the 1st round is unlikely, plenty of capable athletes will be around in the 2nd round or 3rd as is almost always the case every year. The Bears knew what they were doing when they chose to make Anthony Miller available. If they could find Mooney in the 5th round last year, there is no reason to think they can’t replace him on the cheap this time around.
Is Miller the only one out?
That is a good question. It’s possible fellow 2018 draft alum and boxing enthusiast Javon Wims could be gone as well. He would bring the Bears $920,000 in cap space if released and he made practically no impact last season. His biggest highlight was dropping a sure touchdown in the loss to New Orleans. He and Miller have furthered a long lineage of disappointing draft picks at that position for this franchise.
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