Getty Bears general manager Ryan Poles.
Gabe Davis will sign his next NFL contract with the Jacksonville Jaguars when the new league year begins on March 13, but the Chicago Bears had an offer on the table for the 24-year-old wide receiver before he turned them down.
According to Fox Sports’ Henry McKenna, the Bears made an offer to Davis that was “similar” to the three-year, $39 million contract he agreed to sign with the Jaguars. Ultimately, he rejected Chicago in favor of Jacksonville for a few particular reasons.
“Davis wanted to go back to Florida,” McKenna wrote on X. “He can work with former Bills WRs coach Chad Hall. QB Trevor Lawrence helps, too.”
The Bears have evident needs at wide receiver with DJ Moore, Tyler Scott and Velus Jones Jr. rounding out their top three at the position. While Davis turned them down, the fact that the Bears made him a competitive offer indicates they are exploring the top end of the receiver market with intentions to find a veteran starter for their roster.
Chicago has not been linked to any other receivers since Monday’s start of the league tampering period, but Calvin Ridley, Marquise Brown and Curtis Samuel remain available and could potentially appeal to the Bears if they are looking to spend. According to Over the Cap, they have roughly $45.6 million in effective cap space.
Which Other Veteran WRs Could Be in Play for Bears?
While the Bears struck out with Davis, their interest in him paints a picture of the type of wide receiver they are looking to sign in free agency. Davis is a traditional vertical threat with good size (6-foot-2, 216 pounds) and a contested-catch ability that shines through regardless of whether he lines up in the slot or out wide.
So, who else could fit that profile?
Tyler Boyd (6-foot-2, 203 pounds) is lighter than Davis and about five years older but could fit a similar mold. He can make contested catches and is a sharp route-runner. He is also likely to cost less than Davis did; though, he might be better off as a No. 3 option than a true perimeter threat who would be working opposite Moore.
If size isn’t a must-have, the Bears could widen their search. Ridley and Brown are two of the top available options, but Samuel, Josh Reynolds, D.J. Chark and K.J. Osborn all have experience that could be useful to Chicago’s extremely inexperienced group.
Darnell Mooney to Sign Three-Year Deal With Falcons
The Bears have options for adding depth at the wide receiver position, but one that is no longer on the table for them is the possibility of re-signing starter Darnell Mooney.
According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Atlanta Falcons have agreed to sign Mooney to a three-year contract worth $39 million with $26 million fully guaranteed. He will now become an integral part of the Falcons’ receiving corps and provide more veteran support for new quarterback Kirk Cousins, who will also sign on March 13.
The Bears may not have had any interest in bringing back Mooney. His production had dropped off for them over the past two seasons, partially due to injuries and partially due to the overall incompetence of Chicago’s passing offense. Still, he exceeded 1,000 yards in 2021 and could have made a decent fallback plan if the Bears tested the market and did not like what they found in the other candidates.
Now, Chicago will have no choice but to find outside solutions to their depth problem.