Bears Bolster Skill, Add Former First-Round Receiver
K. Joudry
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The Chicago Bears have fully embraced a rebuild in 2022. After several years of decline under Ryan Pace’s and Matt Nagy’s leadership, it was time for a new direction and focus. New GM Ryan Poles and new HC Matt Eberflus are thus starting over, a painful but necessary process. One thing that may help the Bears is their recent acquisition of N’Keal Harry.
PFT provides some background on the receiver:
A first-round pick in 2019, Harry never truly found his footing with New England. He played just seven games in his rookie year with five starts, making 12 catches for 105 yards with a pair of touchdowns. Then in 2020, he appeared in 14 games with nine starts, catching 33 passes for 309 yards.
He requested a trade before last season that never materialized. So in 2021, Harry played just 29.5 percent of New England’s offensive snaps in 12 games. He finished with 12 catches for 184 yards.
According to Over the Cap, the Bears have more than $23 million in cap space, so adding N’Keal Harry presents no financial hurdle. New England is only getting a 7th-round selection in return.
Harry will look to become one of the top targets for sophomore QB Justin Fields, who was also a first-round selection. Fields struggled during his rookie season, though it’s hard to be overly critical of the young QB. He was tasked with trying to thrive within a team that was quickly descending. It’s plausible that a new leadership group can help Fields to succeed.
Unless something totally unforeseen happens, the Bears don’t have much of a chance in the NFC North. The Packers are rightly viewed as the favorites to once again take top spot. They’ve won the division three-straight years, have a great QB, and one of the best defenses in the NFL. The Vikings are clearly in the #2 spot. Does Minnesota have what it takes to snag the division? Many are skeptical, but the team is proceeding as if it’s a legitimate Super Bowl contender. The Lions and Bears will be battling for the #3 spot in the NFC North.
A quick look at the Bears’ depth chart suggests that N’Keal Harry has a chance of sticking around. The young WR will be competing with Darnell Mooney, Equanimeous St. Brown, and Byron Pringle. In other words, Harry has an opportunity. Given the low cost of acquisition, it was a worthwhile gamble for the Bears.
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