The Chicago Bears fired general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy after the 2021 season, so they are entering the offseason with a clean slate. Whoever takes over this job will have a lot of work to do.
Overall, the roster looks like it is one of the weakest in the league. However, they do have a blue-chip prospect in quarterback Justin Fields to build around. Having what could be the quarterback of their future already in place is something that could entice some people to take the job.
Alas, there is a ton of work to do to build the roster up around Fields. The Bears need to fix the offensive line in front of him, but they also need to find him some weapons that he can get the ball to.
Having David Montgomery in the backfield is a good start, as a strong running game is always helpful for a young quarterback. However, his pass-catching options are very limited.
Darnell Mooney, a 2020 fifth-round pick that Fields built some good chemistry with his season, is the only wide receiver the Bears have under contract for 2022. Without a first and fourth-round pick, as they were traded to the New York Giants to move up in the 2021 NFL Draft to select Fields, Chicago will have to get to work in free agency.
Luckily for them, they have some money to spend and there are some wide receivers worth courting. According to PFF, one player that the Bears could target at wide receiver is Christian Kirk of the Arizona Cardinals.
Kirk was a second-round pick in 2018 out of Texas A&M. He had some flashes and solid showings his first three seasons in the NFL, but began figuring it out this season. With DeAndre Hopkins battling injuries, Kirk had a bigger role and took full advantage.
He caught 77 passes for 982 yards, both of which were career highs. He also added five touchdowns and augmented his skill set by lining up more in the slot this season.
With Mooney on the outside, Kirk’s field-stretching ability from the slot would be a nice upgrade for the Bears’ offense. It is imperative to upgrade the weapons around Fields so that he can find more consistent success in his second season and Kirk would provide that.
The Bears would still have some work to do, but adding the dynamic Christian Kirk alongside Mooney would give Fields a nice one-two punch to work with. Tight end Cole Kmet continuing his breakout in Year 3 would also help take this offense to another level.
