While the Panthers stood down regarding a D.J. Moore trade after firing Matt Rhule last October, they ended up unloading their top wide receiver to secure what turned out to be Bryce Young draft real estate. Moore will move to a Bears franchise that has not had much luck forging long-term partnerships with impact wide receivers.
Moore came up during the Bears and Panthers’ trade talks when other suitors drove up the bidding during the early-March sweepstakes for the No. 1 overall pick. The Texans initially were part of these proceedings, with the Bears plotting a move down from No. 1 to No. 2 to No. 9. After Houston withdrew, Chicago dealt directly with Carolina. Bears GM Ryan Poles also inquired about defensive linemen Brian Burns and Derrick Brown, but both being on rookie contracts impeded either being included in the trade.
“In the very beginning I was laughed at because I had [one of] three guys that I wanted in the trade,” Poles said, via The Athletic’s Jim Trotter (subscription required). “I did know and felt like there was more of an opportunity to get D.J. because he had a bigger contract and there would be a bigger benefit in cap space to kick back to Carolina. But it was not easy because they absolutely loved that kid. It was painful to pull him out of their arms. I really think it would have been even harder if he had been on a rookie contract.”
Carolina extended Moore in nearly a year before trading him, agreeing to terms on a three-year deal worth $61.9MM. That pact came just before the avalanche of receiver extensions drove up the market. Moore, Mike Williams and Chris Godwin settled onto the same tier, hours before Davante Adams‘ Raiders extension ($28MM per year) and days before Tyreek Hill‘s $30MM-AAV extension came to pass. The 2019 receiver class soon upped the cost for up-and-coming star pass catchers as well.
The Bears will benefit from the Panthers’ timing with Moore. They now have him tied to the 10th-most lucrative receiver deal, with the likes of A.J. Brown, Terry McLaurin, Deebo Samuel and D.K. Metcalf passing him later during the 2022 offseason. Chicago does not have another big-ticket skill-position deal on its books, with Darnell Mooney, Chase Claypool and Cole Kmet attached to rookie contracts. Justin Fields‘ rookie pact runs through 2024 but can be pushed to 2025 via the fifth-year option. The team let David Montgomery walk — for a three-year, $18MM Lions deal — and landed a replacement (D’Onta Foreman) for just $2MM.
The Bears might still be in the market for defensive end help, having finished last in sacks in 2022 and addressing their D-tackle spots early in the draft. But Burns remains on track to sign a Panthers extension. Brown became extension-eligible in January, but the Panthers picked up his fifth-year option earlier this month.
Moore, 26, posted 1,100-plus-yard years from 2019-21, doing so despite a shuffling Panthers QB situation. The Bears have experienced fairly good fortune with veteran acquisitions at receiver over the past several years. Brandon Marshall still holds the team’s single-season receiving yardage record; Allen Robinson produced two 1,100-plus-yard seasons. Neither lasted more than four years for the Bears, who did not get much from Robinson’s fourth slate (a 410-yard showing on the franchise tag).
Moore’s Chicago fit will be a work in progress, but he should have a chance to land another extension in the not-too-distant future, a contract that could keep him in Illinois for the long haul.
The Bears have enough offensive players and a better O Line. Let’s see if Fields can throw the ball, and see how good of a coach Eberflus really is.
The proved to be awful last season. Everyone raves about Fields as a running QB….I prefer QB’s to be better at throwing than running. But’s just me.
When one’s best weapon is Mooney for most of the season, I don’t think it proves anything. With D.J. Moore in the fold, less attention will be given to Claypool and Mooney, and should free up Kmet to be an even bigger threat.
Fields has been running for his life since he got here. The O-Line should be a lot better now. They got a whole right side of the line in Wright and Davis. If Jones built up his bottom half which was his weak spot he’ll be fine. He got pushed back to easily last year. Between Jenkins, Whitehair and Patrick seems to be the plan at C and LG. Jenkins is good when he plays but with Whitehair there he can move back to LG if he has to. I personally don’t have a clue what Getsy sees in Patrick but he never played last year so…..IDK. But with Kramer as 3rd C at least they’re deeper there also. They took the CB over Schmitz in the 2nd rd and I hope that doesn’t come back to bite them in the a**. We shall see. Anyway, Fields has a much better cast around him to throw to so no excuses really anymore. He shouldn’t have to run 1st anymore. Happy feet days are over.
Fields had to run alot for sure, but he never looked downfield to throw the ball while running. Any WR in the NFL can get open if you give them enough time. We’ll see about him and Eberflus, now that winning games matters.
After Mooney went on IR, Da Bears didn’t have anyone capable of getting open deep on a busted play on a regular basis.
Truth!
Agreed. Patrick is a @#$%ing chandelier and will likely be out for the season on the first snap he takes in the preseason. Why the Bears have kept him on the roster is weird, same with not drafting an interior lineman at all in the draft when they needed one of those desperately (as Whitehair is not much better in regards to staying healthy). That said Im still expecting Fields to be able to succeed. They gave him a bonafide Probowl WR in Moore. Im not fans of Claypool or Mooney for that matter. However, Im tired of the excuse of He has to get to know the WRs better. Fields, and the coaching staff for that matter, better trust Fields to get the ball where it needs to be. I believe Fields can be a good QB. He has weapons and is running out of excuses now.