Bears trade for Chase Claypool: Why now, and what it means for Justin Fields (2024)

After unloading two of the Bears’ top trade assets for draft picks — linebacker Roquan Smith and defensive end Robert Quinn — general manager Ryan Poles on Tuesday made the aggressive move to acquire wide receiver Chase Claypool for the Bears’ 2023 second-round pick.

Claypool, 24, was a second-round pick by the Steelers in 2020. He had only 32 catches and 311 yards this season, averaging 9.7 yards per catch with quarterbacks Mitch Trubisky and Kenny Pickett.

With Ben Roethlisberger in 2020-21, Claypool averaged 14.3 yards per reception.

Claypool does not have a 1,000-yard receiving season. He did catch nine touchdown passes as a rookie. This season, he’s been vocal about the offense’s struggles at times.

Chase Claypool on the offense. pic.twitter.com/ly7LJBJsKY

— Mark Kaboly (@MarkKaboly) September 18, 2022

The Bears still have the Ravens’ second-rounder, acquired in the Smith trade, but thought highly enough of Claypool to forgo their second-rounder, which is likely to be a pretty valuable draft slot.

The Athletic’s Adam Jahns and Kevin Fishbain offer their immediate analysis of the trade: what Claypool brings to quarterback Justin Fields and the offense, what the move says about Poles and the cost to add a veteran receiver.

Jahns: Well, how about that? With the extra second-round pick, Poles turned into a deadline buyer, not a seller. And he acted quickly to add help for Fields. At 6-foot-4 and 238 pounds, Claypool changes how the Bears can attack teams. It allows offensive coordinator Luke Getsy to do different things with receiver Darnell Mooney, including featuring him in the slot, where his speed can be a matchup problem. Better yet, Fields now has a big, go-up-and-get-it option for contested catches. As skilled as the 5-11 Mooney is with his speed, quickness and route running, the Bears lacked that type of threat consistently in their passing game. Claypool gives the Bears a little bit of everything.

Fishbain: Claypool is that dynamic athlete the Bears haven’t really had at receiver since … Alshon Jeffery? Brandon Marshall? Pairing Claypool with Mooney gives the Bears a much better one-two punch. I see this move as helping Fields, but it’s so much more about 2023 and beyond. I think we can agree that Mooney is in the Bears’ plans. Who else at receiver? Equanimeous St. Brown? Dante Pettis? Byron Pringle? N’Keal Harry? The best option Poles had before this trade was to hope to draft a top-flight wideout. Now he gets a known commodity in Claypool. Yes, there’s some projection that Claypool will be worthy of being a cornerstone who gets an extension, but who else could the Bears have added at receiver?

Jahns: Poles undoubtedly had conversations with other teams with available receivers. But here’s another question: Do the Bears seriously entertain those talks and make the move for Claypool if Fields doesn’t show the improvement he has over the past four weeks? I’m not sure they do. Fields’ toughness is endearing, but every week he’s starting to show more in Getsy’s offense, which includes featuring more designed runs over the past two weeks. Now he gets to throw to and develop with a better receiver to his outside in Claypool. It’s full steam ahead with the development of Fields over the next nine games and beyond.

Fishbain: Not to say Claypool would have caught the passes Velus Jones Jr. and St. Brown failed to catch against the Cowboys, but those incomplete deep balls were a reminder that the Bears need more playmakers. Fields has to have a little more trust that his wideouts will make plays on passes like that, and Claypool gives him another weapon in that regard, one that should only help him. As we turn our focus to Fields’ development and what this offense could look like in the coming seasons, these final nine games allow for Fields to establish a rapport with Claypool. Here’s the $100 million question though, Jahns, especially as we expect Claypool to be in line for a big contract next offseason: Is the Bears’ second-round pick too rich for someone who has never had 1,000 yards receiving?

Jahns: You can make that argument, but at least Claypool has an agent to deal with for that next deal. I’m joking — partially. But if you’re going to invest in Fields, that includes paying receivers around Fields more, too. Receiver is a premier position. As important as the weakside linebacker position is to Matt Eberflus’ scheme, it just shouldn’t be valued in the same way as receiver — especially one with the potential that Claypool has to change the Bears offense. Poles will still use resources on his defense. His first draft showed that. As for Claypool, I have concerns about his past production. But there could be reasons for it. Fields’ deep ball will be the best he’s seen in the NFL. Claypool played with an over-the-hill Roethlisberger and later Trubisky and Pickett, a rookie.

Fishbain: This is 2022 (or maybe 2023 in Poles’ mind). You spend your money at wide receiver, edge rusher, corner and quarterback. Poles came from Kansas City, where he saw the impact of a player like Tyreek Hill. There’s certainly going to be pressure on Claypool to perform at a high level considering the cost — draft capital and cash — but this is the position where you want to allocate big resources. I referenced Marshall and Jeffery earlier, and the best Bears offense we’ve seen in a long time was when those two were catching passes in 2013. Next up are Mooney and Claypool, the Bears hope. Yes, maybe you’d prefer to use a first- or second-round pick on a dynamic receiver who is then on a rookie contract instead of Claypool, who is short on accolades, but the Bears have tape on Claypool. They have an idea of what they’re getting, and that’s a gamble they want to make.

(Photo: Timothy T Ludwig / Getty Images)