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Will they or won’t they?
Whether the Chicago Bears will actually part ways with wide receiver Anthony Miller via trade has been one of the burning questions of the offseason so far, but as it stands, Miller is staying put. That hasn’t stopped analysts from throwing out hypothetical trade proposals for the fourth-year wideout, however — the latest of which is a doozy.
Chris Roling of Bleacher Report thinks the New England Patriots may be in the market for a slot receiver like Miller, and he thinks Bill Belichick might be willing to send Chicago a surprisingly high draft pick to acquire him.
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A 2nd-Round Pick for Miller?
Miller has 134 catches for 1,564 yards and 11 touchdowns over his first three seasons with the Bears, but after trading up to nab the former Memphis standout, he never quite turned into the solid and reliable contributor on offense Matt Nagy and company hoped he would. That, coupled with his ejection in the playoffs last season, resulted in rumors of his potential departure.
Some still think there’s a chance Miller could be traded, and Roling is one of them. Here’s the trade he proposed:
- Offer: WR Anthony Miller in exchange for Patriots 2022 2nd-Round Pick
A 2nd rounder seems like an absolutely ridiculous suggestion — if Miller had a market that high, the Bears would have likely traded him already. Here’s Roling’s logic for thinking the Pats might be a good trade partner — although he seems to know a 2nd-round pick is a big reach:
From the Bears’ perspective, getting as much in return for Miller as possible makes the most sense. Aforementioned rumblings that the Bears were offering up their former second-round pick make it seem like the staff has thrown in the proverbial towel on his development. Fair or not, in part due to a miserable quarterback situation the team has yet to figure out, Miller has yet to squeak past the 700-yard mark in production during a season. It takes just one team to buy into Miller’s potential in their system to like the idea of taking on his cheap contract and upside. Maybe Chicago should try the New England Patriots, a team that has yet to get anything significant from N’Keal Harry and keeps trying to remake the position. A second-round pick for Miller might be too rich, but it’s a favorable starting point to talks for the Bears. And with how aggressive the Patriots were this offseason in remaking the roster, they may even bite.
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Bears Have Brought in Several Intriguing WRs to Compete With Miller
The Bears have focused on adding speed and competition to the wide receivers room this offseason. They took wideout Dazz Newsome in the sixth round of the draft this year (221st overall), and they also added speedy receivers Marquise Goodwin and Damiere Byrd.
While Newsome suffered a setback when he broke his collarbone during a voluntary practice earlier this month, both Byrd and Goodwin have gotten raves from their new teammates and coaches alike, and if they can continue to make good impressions, Miller’s job may not be secure after all.
Nagy made a point to speak about Miller and his role on the team last month, and it looks like the Bears are standing by him, at least for now. He’s in the final year of his rookie deal and will come cheap, and he’s also familiar with Nagy’s offense, so he’s probably going to stick around one more year. But if Chicago could possibly get anywhere near a 2nd-round selection for him via trade? They had better jump on it.
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