Is Mooney a #1 WR?

[BaBaBlacksheep]

1055 yards last year. 19th in the league.

Are you guys good with DM as your #1 WR going into next year?

I see a lot of people talking about making a splash at WR in free agency by signing one of the top guys. Do the Bears really need to? Can they afford to? Or would you be OK with Mooney as #1 and then signing a lower tier guy(s)? Such as Valdez-Scantling. (new OC familiarity) Byron Pringle (new GM familiarity) Cedrick Wilson. etc... Then adding a draft pick. (or two)

I personally think this is much more likely than the Bears dropping 15+ million on a big name WR. And Poles has already said he loves the second and third wave of free agency. Also leaves more money for the Oline rebuild which I think will be priority numero uno.

Thoughts?

 

[Nelly]

How do you afford a true number 1 right now with all the other holes to fill? Mooney will end up being the defacto number 1 whether we like it or not.

 

[Bearly]

I love Mooney but no. Great #2.
I feel a#1 needs to be able to win 1 on 1's with with height and or size. Mooney can get to most balls but if it's on another body he gets moved too much and it makes catching them that much more difficult. He's just too light.

 

[ZOMBIE@CTESPN]

He didn’t improve anyone else around him he was just feasting as the only one with a heart beat out there. He’s a good number 2 and one poverty ass number one

 

[MikeDitkaPolishSausage]

I think it depends on the type of offense Getsy wants to put on the field. But I do think Mooney has the opportunity to be a #1 Wr. He is not your jump ball type of #1 but has a lot of other #1 qualities.

 

[modo]

I think you give up one of your rushers to go get a true #1 receiver

 

[Forty-six]

The Bears' offseason priorities should be, in this order...

1. Upgrade the O-Line (by whatever means necessary)
2. Surround Fields with perimeter weapons (via the draft)

I love Mooney and he and Fields seem to have great chemistry which is hard to find. As others have said he's a fantastic # 2 but not in the same league as true # 1's like Cooper Kupp, Ja'Marr Chase or Mike Evans, all who can completely dominate a game. Mooney can't do that.

College churns out so many high quality pro ready WR's the Bears should look to upgrade the position through the draft. Look around the league and many teams have an abundance of WR talent while the cupboard is mostly bare here in Chicago due to inept decisions on draft day. Here's to hoping the new regime will do a much better job in surrounding Fields with a rock solid O-line and weapons on the perimeter.

 

[Milky]

I think they come out of FA with two ok receivers and Mooney will be the defacto #1. Something like MVS and Wilson. Not a great receiving core. Then next year try and get a legit #1 when they have a 1st and more cap space.

 

[pseudonym]

No. But he's a great #2. And maybe I'd rather have THREE great #2s than one great #1? He's close though. But I wouldn't want to hang the OFF on him. You need different players—tall WR that can go up and get it; fast, shorter WRs that can stretch the field; big-bodied TEs to catch and block; WRs with good hands to be reliable on third down.

 

[dennehy]

Not every team is going to have a true #1, and I'm fine with that for this year. Mooney is very good and will likely improve with a better offense. I would prefer the Bears dedicate more resources to other positions rather than to a true #1. I suspect they will sign another solid starter, take a flyer on another cheap FA, and draft one.

 

[Decatur Staley]

Hell no

 

[Mdbearz]

I imagine Mooney can be better, and will likely be our #1, but we better have a couple of solid other WRs if Fields is going to improve.

 

[remydat]

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He is not a classic 1 but his numbers are similar to Hill's first two years.

You have guys that would be a No 1 in any offense. He is a No 1 in right O and right QB. Whetherhe really becomes a No 1 is dependent on whether Fields can take a Mahomes like step abd consistently find him downfield so that it opens up things underneath.

 

[JP Hochbaum]

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He is not a classic 1 but his numbers are similar to Hill's first two years.

You have guys that would be a No 1 in any offense. He is a No 1 in right O and right QB. Whetherhe really becomes a No 1 is dependent on whether Fields can take a Mahomes like step abd consistently find him downfield so that it opens up things underneath.

Mooney is also a very hard worker and has the will to become a number 1. If Steve Smith and others his size can do it, so can Mooney.

 

[MikeDitkaPolishSausage]

The Bears' offseason priorities should be, in this order...

1. Upgrade the O-Line (by whatever means necessary)
2. Surround Fields with perimeter weapons (via the draft)

I love Mooney and he and Fields seem to have great chemistry which is hard to find. As others have said he's a fantastic # 2 but not in the same league as true # 1's like Cooper Kupp, Ja'Marr Chase or Mike Evans, all who can completely dominate a game. Mooney can't do that.

College churns out so many high quality pro ready WR's the Bears should look to upgrade the position through the draft. Look around the league and many teams have an abundance of WR talent while the cupboard is mostly bare here in Chicago due to inept decisions on draft day. Here's to hoping the new regime will do a much better job in surrounding Fields with a rock solid O-line and weapons on the perimeter.

I’m not at all saying that Mooney is in the league of Kupp, Evans or Chase. But the biggest difference between those 3 and Mooney is who’s behind center and the play callers. I do think Mooney can put up between 1200-1400 yards and 6-8tds with better QB play. If he can get to those numbers, that would be in the wr1 range.

 

[Marley's Liberality]

I don't think he is a finished product and expect another jump in production next year, as is typically seen in year three for WR. Right now he is not a #1

Scantling sucks. He never scared me as a Packer because, even on the instances where he got open and the ball was thrown perfectly, he was unlikely to catch it. He has under a 50% catch rate for his career while playing with one of the most accurate passers in the history of the game

 

[WookieOnRitalin]

No.

 

[Nelly]

Such as Valdez-Scantling. (new OC familiarity) Byron Pringle (new GM familiarity) Cedrick Wilson. etc... Then adding a draft pick. (or two)

I like this plan. Grab a couple solid guys like the ones you mentioned to form a trio that's at least passable. Add a WR in the later rounds and hope you find your next Mooney. Maybe grabbing a guy in the first will be in the cards in 2023.

 

[Zvbxrpl]

In the context of game-breaking ability or even individual ability? No. He’s not a #1 the way fans traditionally think of a #1 WR, where in important moments you double him up. He’s fast, but he’s not breakneck speed fast.

As part of a 2-3 WR tandem the way Detroit did with Marvin Jones, Golladay, and Tate (who didn’t fit with them but besides point) I think he can be more effective than the stat line OP gave from this past year and that’s a better situation overall for him and the offense. He’s versatile to be a problem lining up at X, Z or slot, so pairing him with similar caliber guys whether it be drafted or signed is most ideal as opposed to breaking the bank on Adams or keeping ARob.

Pair him with a guy like Gallup, and/or a 3rd round draft pick like Alec Pierce, Erik Enzukama or Khalil Shakir and I think you’d have the weapons to cause fits for dbs who have to pick a poison doubling or hope a pass rush can end the play quickly.

 

[HearshotKDS]

Long term? No. For a 1 season transition/rebuild? Bears have done worse.