Is Mooney a #1 WR?

[JP Hochbaum]

I think if we define #1 objectively we have to say something like top 10-15 in the NFL. If we define it subjectively then it means the best receiver on a team.

He fits the latter obviously, but objectively I think he can get there but no there yet.

 

[dennehy]

Kirk will be affordable, and fits that bill

How affordable to you think he will be?

He will be into the eight figures per year for sure.

 

[TexasBearfan]

Good thing no one asked you to compare them. I compared them based on their first 2 years and the fact they both have deep play ability that they need a consistent deep ball thrower to unlock.

The question I posed is whether people think Hill is a No 1 WR. I think most would probably say yes. If Fields improves and Mooney gets to 1200-1300 yards next year, would that make him a No 1? Or are people's minds made no matter what transpires?

i think of it in roles rather than positions...like you have the Hill/Kelce speed guy with huge target...cincy has Chase/Higgins...Higgins has huge catch radius but can run better than Kelce

I'm dying to see if they go TE or grab a huge WR

 

[Speed]

At first thought I don't think so. He'd have a tough time cracking the field if the Superbowl teams this year are the standard we should be looking at. I do think he can be a great 'complimentary' piece(For whatever that means).

Also I think Nagy's ineptness probably (definitely) colors a lot of our bias in regards to how effective some of these guys can be.

 

[nc0gnet0]

how many times did he draw #1 coverage this year?

 

[Penny Traitor]

how many times did he draw #1 coverage this year?

Hard to tell.

I don't think many opposing defenses took any part of the 2021 Chicago Bears passing game very seriously at all.

 

[Penny Traitor]

As to the OP...Mooney is the number one receiver on this offense almost by default.

The Bears have no one else under contract and Justin Fields already loves throwing to him.

A lot can change between now and September, but I would not be surprised at all if Mooney is the leading receiver again in 2022.

 

[jooo83]

My definition of a true #1 WR is someone that is elite at the position. Mooney ic clearly not that. Right now, he's probably a #3 on a great offense. But he's young and has time to improve. However, objectively speaking, it's hard to look at him and project that one day he will be one of the leagues best.

 

[hyatt151]

How affordable to you think he will be?

He will be into the eight figures per year for sure.

not so sure about that

 

[PrideisBears]

If we have an OL that isn’t a sieve than he won’t have to be imo

 

[shoez90]

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.

The patriots never really had a number 1 and they did just fine. dinking and dunking those quick release underneath routes to the tune of five world championships. Everyone of those teams had a Amendola or Edelman and Gronk as their staples. It can work and keep Justin healthy behind a strong line. No need a five second drop all the time for the deep ball keep him upright and healthy for years to come. The formula is out there are we willing to give it a try is the real question.

 

[dennehy]

not so sure about that

I really think Player X is very good and should be a Bears target, but I also think Player X is worth less than market value and the Bears can get him on the cheap.

 

[Bearly]

Ranking the 25 best wide receivers from the 2021 NFL regular season

The Green Bay Packers' Davante Adams and the Los Angeles Rams' Cooper Kupp headline the top wide receivers from the 2021 NFL regular season.

www.pff.com

Not a #3.

 

[Mjiton]

If thats what we call a #1 WR then devon hester was a #1 WR too

Guess I should have added the ? at the end of my question. It was not a statement. I don't study tape and have no idea who drew the double teams and top DBs. However, if ARob drew the attention then Mooney's numbers could be inflated by the attention being focused on ARob. There were similar conversations with Alshon. If Mooney was getting all the attention and still performed then I'd say he's already a #1. If not I'd say he's definitely got the potential to be a #1.

 

[dabears70]

How can you possibly compare Mooney to T.Hill?

Tyreek Hill Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats for Tyreek Hill. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

Darnell Mooney Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats for Darnell Mooney. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

How does their production compare over their first 2 years?

In their 1st two years Hill had 18 receptions of 20 yards or more and 16 between 10-19 yards. By contrast Mooney in his first 2 years has 11 receptions of 20 yards or more and 36 between 10-19 yards.

Hill didn't really get better as a WR in 2018. What got better is his QB as he went from Alex Smith to Patrick Mahomes. I don't see how people can say the O held Fields back and not allow for the possibility that it has also held Mooney back. Even so, his total yards the first 2 years is similar to Hill and that is while playing in a worse offense and with worse QBs as Alex Smith was a better QB than the combination of Trubs/Foles/Dalton/Fields in 2020 and 2021.

Now does that mean it is guaranteed he will develop into a No 1 like Hill? No. However, the possibility exists if Fields takes the next step and in doing some of those 10-19 yard completions of which Mooney has a ton convert in to 20+ yard completions.

The love most of us had for Mooney was crazy, for some even more than others. Hahaha

 

[HearshotKDS]

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

Nailed it, he was a fantastic #1 WR for a team trying to lose the most games in the NFL. Another scalp on the wall lets go.

 

[dabears70]

Nailed it, he was a fantastic #1 WR for a team trying to lose the most games in the NFL. Another scalp on the wall lets go.

I'm a Mooney fan but the fall off has been crazy. I blame some of it on the play calling but he's looked pretty awful when they did go to him with the drops and looking like he wasn't giving a 100% on many plays.

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

 

[dbldrew]

Tyreek Hill Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Draft, College | Pro-Football-Reference.com

Checkout the latest stats for Tyreek Hill. Get info about his position, age, height, weight, college, draft, and more on Pro-football-reference.com.

www.pro-football-reference.com

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.

So him falling off is Fields fault?

 

[HeHateMe]

So him falling off is Fields fault?

You didn't see him drop most of te passes hitting him in the hands this season, did you?