The article says to draft a WR and also sign Lazard. Both. He is familiar with the Getsy offense. He would be fairly affordable as a WR2 or WR3. Keep in mind that Claypool and Mooney are only under contract for 2023. One or both could be gone after this season.
LINK Rival Playmaker Dubbed Top Free Agent Target for Bears
Why? What makes Lazard stand out as a WR over what they already have? I really don't care about his blocking, he's a WR.
can he:
(1) Separate consistently? (2) Run all the routes cleanly? (3) Catch (Think the 4th down pass going through St Browns hands) (4) Be healthy (5) Standout above the collection on 2nds,3rds,4th the Bears already have?
I really do not want more than 6 WRs on the roster, and we already have 4 under contract. That leaves room to add 2 more: (1) the WR1 I want him to draft in the second round and (2) the veteran WR1 in a trade (D-Hop, Evans, Higgins, Cooks, Thomas). Somebody like Lazard would be considered if I don’t get (1) or (2).
I really do not want more than 6 WRs on the roster, and we already have 4 under contract. That leaves room to add 2 more: (1) the WR1 I want him to draft in the second round and (2) the veteran WR1 in a trade (D-Hop, Evans, Higgins, Cooks, Thomas). Somebody like Lazard would be considered if I don’t get (1) or (2).
It's really only 3. St. Brown's contract has only $85K in guaranteed money. They could cut him and save a million bucks. There may be 6 receivers on this roster right now...but only 3 of them are what one would consider a lock to be here next season. So there's still plenty of room to add guys.
By the time camp starts there will be 10-12 WRs on the roster. Adding vet min guys even on guarantees doesn't mean anything at this point. Its like the one year the Bears had about 8 TEs under contract in June and the national media was whooping it up about the Bears starting the season with a new OFF of 3 WRs and 8 TEs. They ended up cutting 4, put one on the PS and rolled with the normal three.
The Bears are in the unique position of having to spend wild amounts of money because the cap does have a floor as well as a ceiling. (yes its a 3 year rolling average or something that like, its why teams roll money over from year to year.) Look for lots of guys under contract on slightly bigger deals than normal (like $1.25 mil with $85k guarenteed--I'll trust butkus3595) who are just guys.
They get to have 93 guys under contract right now. These are the 7 wr currently under contract: Chase Claypool, Velus Jones, Darnell Mooney, Daurice Fountain, St, Brown, Nsimba Webster and Joe Reed. They need to sign at least 3 more and I'm willing to say that Fountain and Reed don't even make camp in August. They'll be down to 6 by the end of August.
I really do not want more than 6 WRs on the roster, and we already have 4 under contract. That leaves room to add 2 more: (1) the WR1 I want him to draft in the second round and (2) the veteran WR1 in a trade (D-Hop, Evans, Higgins, Cooks, Thomas). Somebody like Lazard would be considered if I don’t get (1) or (2).
It's really only 3. St. Brown's contract has only $85K in guaranteed money. They could cut him and save a million bucks. There may be 6 receivers on this roster right now...but only 3 of them are what one would consider a lock to be here next season. So there's still plenty of room to add guys.
They could cut him, but they won’t. He’s the only one of these 1-yr. guys who got an immediate extension. They like him. But if the plan is to have 6 WRs and there are 3 locks, that leaves room to add 3 guys: my (1) and (2) plus Lazard or other quality FA. I would be very satisfied if that happens.
It's really only 3. St. Brown's contract has only $85K in guaranteed money. They could cut him and save a million bucks. There may be 6 receivers on this roster right now...but only 3 of them are what one would consider a lock to be here next season. So there's still plenty of room to add guys.
They could cut him, but they won’t. He’s the only one of these 1-yr. guys who got an immediate extension. They like him. But if the plan is to have 6 WRs and there are 3 locks, that leaves room to add 3 guys: my (1) and (2) plus Lazard or other quality FA. I would be very satisfied if that happens.
What would keep them from cutting him if they acquire better receivers? They didn't like him enough to fully guarantee even $100K of his salary...I think that tells you their level of "like" when it comes to EQ.