Chicago Bears: Claypool Could Be Key To Big WR Improvement

After the Chicago Bears traded for wide receiver Chase Claypool at the 2022 trade deadline, he struggled to fit in. He remains a big part of an offensive improvement in 2023, however.

The Chicago Bears continue to look for ways to improve their offense. For the better part of a decade, they ranked at or near the bottom of nearly every offensive category.

Without a good offense, the team cannot succeed. We saw how the team failed to make very many playoff appearances. In fact, they haven’t won a playoff game since 2010. In that span, they’ve only made the playoffs three times.

The Bears feel they have their franchise quarterback in Justin Fields. General manager Ryan Poles and the coaching staff think they can win a lot of games with him. They just need to surround him with talent and protection.

Poles now has the assets to go out and give Fields the help he needs. He will have more than $100 million in salary cap space and at least eight draft picks in the 2023 NFL Draft, including the number one overall pick. While he won’t spend all of the money on offense, a nice chunk of his assets will go to the offense.

Poles already started to help Fields

Poles began helping Fields even before the 2022 season ended. He made a deal with the Pittsburgh Steelers to acquire wide receiver Chase Claypool.

Claypool was Pittsburgh’s second-round pick in 2020. He played well in his first two seasons. He amassed 1,733 receiving yards on 121 catches (an average of 14.3 yards per catch).

However, the Steelers wanted to move forward with Diontae Johnson and Geroge Pickens. That made Claypool expendable.

Poles wanted to find help with the wide receivers unit. With nine draft picks, he decided to use one early. He used one of his second-round picks to acquire Claypool.

With Claypool’s combination of size, quickness, and explosiveness, he could be of great help for Fields and the Chicago Bears offense. Additionally, he has the ability to make contested catches. The move excited the fans.

Things didn’t work out as planned

The signing brought some hope that Claypool and Fields would be a nice duo. Thoughts of Fields connecting with Claypool on big passes ran through fans’ minds.

However, things didn’t work out the way the Bears and their fans expected. Claypool struggled to learn the offense. There were times he lined up in the wrong place and he just couldn’t get involved. Also, he dealt with injuries.

Claypool was so frustrated at one point that he had a tirade on the sideline late in the season. It wasn’t a big one but Fields spoke to him to calm him down and took care of the situation.

It should be noted that it is a little difficult to master offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s system. We saw how even Fields and his favorite target, Darnell Mooney, struggled coming out of the gate in 2022.

In the first three games, Mooney only received 11 targets. He caught four of them for just 27 yards. That happened despite them working together on Getsy’s offense for the entire summer, training camp, and the preseason.

This is a reason why a lot of mid-season deals aren’t made in the NFL. With all the complex offenses a lot of players, especially skill players.

Claypool could still be a big part of the offense

Claypool could still be an integral part of Getsy’s offense. He will now have the entire offseason to work with Fields and to get the offense. Once he understands the intricacies of the offense, he will then become a big part of the offensive success.

If Claypool does return to form and he and Fields become a great duo, it will really help improve the offense. If Poles then finds a solid free agent wide receiver or hits the jackpot on a receiver in the draft, it would give the Bears a wide receivers room they haven’t seen in a long time. Then the fans would see a strong, exciting offense.