Trouble Brewing in Chicago for 1 Big Name, per Report
Dustin Baker
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Most Chicago Bears fans have been vociferously excited about the club’s offseason, from quarterback Justin Fields’ maturation, receiving a king’s ransom for the 1st overall draft pick, and Matt Eberflus’ second year in charge.
Indeed, the Bears are trending up.
Trouble Brewing in Chicago for 1 Big Name, per Report
But it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in the Windy City, as some turmoil may exist regarding wide receiver Chase Claypool.
Claypool was deemed one of the team’s significant saviors last year, joining via trade with the Pittsburgh Steelers. But then his 2022 performance underwhelmed, and most Bears fans, plus NFL minds, shrugged their shoulders.
Chicago radio host Marc Silverman said this week about Claypool, “All I can tell you is it isn’t trending in a way that the Bears have wanted it to trend in this offseason.”
Claypool was at Chicago’s minicamp, though, and the aforementioned Eberflus mentioned his status, “He’s dealing with a few things right now. He’s working with the training staff, but he is here.”
The Bears acquired Claypool last year on the same day Minnesota landed tight end T.J. Hockenson from the Detroit Lions. General manager Ryan Poles shipped a 2nd-Rounder to Pittsburger for Claypool — which turned out to be the 32nd overall pick in April’s draft, so basically a 1st-Rounder — and said about the transaction at the time, “You can never have enough weapons and guys that help your quarterback gain confidence.”
“I know a lot of the guys are starting to make plays for us. Adding another receiver is going to allow him to continue to grow and gain that confidence,” Poles added last November.
Claypool grabbed 14 receptions for 140 yards and zero touchdowns in seven games as a Bear. He has a long way to go, but 2022 was totally forgettable for him and Chicago.
Silverman also said about the Claypool melodrama, “I have heard from a few people inside that building that he is not somebody who is very self-motivated. There’s a long way to go. Chase Claypool can change the narrative.”
If the Claypool Experiment doesn’t pan out for the Bears, Chicago still has D.J. Moore, Darnell Mooney, Velus Jones Jr., Tyler Scott, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Dante Pettis, among others, at the WR spot.
Claypool turns 25 in three weeks.
Former Vikings TE Done for the Year
Dustin Baker is a political scientist who graduated from the University of Minnesota in 2007. Subscribe to his daily YouTube Channel, VikesNow. He hosts a podcast with Bryant McKinnie, which airs every Wednesday with Raun Sawh and Sal Spice. His Vikings obsession dates back to 1996. Listed guilty pleasures: Peanut Butter Ice Cream, ‘The Sopranos,’ Basset Hounds, and The Doors (the band).
All statistics provided by Pro Football Reference / Stathead; all contractual information provided by OverTheCap.com.
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