If the Chicago Bears are ready to call it quits with former third-round pick Velus Jones Jr., a veteran wide receiver with a similar skill set — and ties to the team — could make sense for them when 2024 NFL free agency begins in March.
Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus recently tried his hand at projecting the future teams for several notable wide receivers in the 2024 free agent class and flagged the Bears as the top potential landing spot for 27-year-old wideout Curtis Samuel.
Spielberger pointed out that Samuel is “very close friends” with DJ Moore — the Bears’ No. 1 receiver — from the time they spent together with the Carolina Panthers. He also noted Samuel’s ability to be a playmaker with the ball in his hands, whether it be as a ball carrier out of the backfield or a short-yardage target near the line of scrimmage.
“Samuel offers a skill set the Bears seemingly tried to acquire in drafting Velus Jones Jr. — he can carry the ball out of the backfield and also rack up yards after the catch from slot and wide alignments,” Spielberger wrote for Pro Football Focus on January 31.
The Bears are going to need to find more receiving depth during the 2024 offseason. While Moore is returning as their No. 1 receiving target, their contracts with Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown and Trent Taylor will all expire when the new league year officially begins at 4 p.m. Eastern Time on March 13.
The only other receivers under contract from last year’s active roster are Tyler Scott and Jones, the latter of whom could be on the chopping block after two disappointing years.
How Much Sense Does Curtis Samuel Make for Bears?
The Bears find themselves in an interesting spot when it comes to their receiving corps. While they struck gold with last year’s trade for Moore, their decision to acquire Chase Claypool and potentially turn him into a long-term weapon blew up in their faces. They also now face a key free agent decision with Mooney, who battled injuries and finished with fewer than 500 receiving yards for a second straight season in 2023.
If they elect not to re-sign Mooney, there is far more urgency for Chicago to land at least one more starting receiver for their offense in 2024, but that does not necessarily mean they will be willing to shell out top dollar for some of the pricier options on the market. After all, they are already paying $20 million annually to Moore and have little reason to make a similar investment in a second receiver, even with $46 million in cap space.
That’s where someone like Curtis Samuel could earn consideration. Over the past two seasons, the 27-year-old has caught a combined 126 passes for 1,269 yards and eight touchdowns for the Washington Commanders and worked primarily as their second receiving option opposite star Terry McLaurin. He has also been reliable and efficient despite uneven quarterback play, registering just four total drops on 91 targets in 2023.
Now, the Bears could always pursue their new No. 2 receiver in the 2024 NFL draft with one of their two first-round selections. Even still, Samuel could be a wise investment to add more depth and experience to the roster at a reasonable price.
In its NFL free agent rankings, Pro Football Focus projects Samuel will sign a contract worth a total of $18 million over two years with $11.5 million guaranteed in free agency.
Which Other Veteran WRs Could Appeal to Chicago?
The Bears are likely going to invest in a free agent receiver in some capacity before the start of the 2024 season, but which other options could make sense aside from Samuel?
Tee Higgins and Michael Pittman Jr. are likely not options unless the Bears decide to wildly change their approach. Based on PFF’s contract projections, they would need to be prepared to spend about $20 million annually to sign either one of them — and that is just not a practical thing for them to do with Moore already on the books.
The more reasonably priced receivers are going to be the ones that tempt the Bears. Marquise Brown dealt with injuries to himself and his quarterback in 2023, hurting his production, but he has still shown potential throughout his career of being a high-upside starting wide receiver. Calvin Ridley also sprung back from his 2022 gambling suspension and put up 1,000 receiving yards for Jacksonville last season, making him a quality option with starting experience who might be willing to sign a short-term deal.
Other soon-to-be free agent receivers who could appeal to the Bears include Gabe Davis, Kendrick Bourne, DJ Chark or KJ Osborn.
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Bears Could Replace Velus Jones With Projected $18 Million Playmaker