The Chicago Bears are in the early stages of a franchise rebuild. This is the first year of general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus being in their positions, replacing Ryan Pace and Matt Nagy.
There is a lot of work to do in Chicago, as Poles and Eberflus are inheriting one of the weakest rosters in the league. They didn’t have a pick in the first round of the 2022 NFL Draft either, as the previous regime traded it to the New York Giants as part of a package in 2021 to move up in that year’s draft. The target that year was Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.
Fields had a rocky rookie season as Nagy did very well to play to his strengths. Having mediocre coaching is tough enough for a player to overcome, but the biggest issue for Fields was the lack of weapons around him.
The situation didn’t improve this offseason with Allen Robinson leaving in free agency, and signing with the Los Angeles Rams. Darnell Mooney is Fields’ No. 1 receiver but beyond that, there are a lot of question marks as the depth chart is full of players who haven’t had full-time opportunities yet in their careers.
If the Bears are looking to bring in an older, established player, they could take a shot on Will Fuller V. Fuller has struggled mightily with injuries throughout his career, as he hasn’t played in more than 11 games in a single season since his rookie campaign. Last season he compiled four receptions for 26 yards in two appearances before his season was over.
If you are counting on Fuller for 17 games, you are likely going to be disappointed. However, the Bears are in such dire straits with their receiving group, that taking a shot on him would be worthwhile.
Fuller has been productive when on the field as he is one of the best deep threats in the NFL. He runs all of the deep route tree excellently and will provide Fields with someone that can put pressure on an opposing defense down the field. The Notre Dame product averaged 14.9 yards per carry during his tenure with the Houston Texans, including a career-high 16.6 yards per reception in 2020.
That kind of dynamism is something Chicago is lacking. There also aren’t many teams that would be able to provide Fuller with a potential starting spot as the Bears would be able to do.
