The perfect complement to DJ Moore: Rome Odunze |
Although the Bears regular season may be ending sooner than what many hoped it would, you could make a case that their season is about to begin as once again the Bears will control the entire offseason. For the second straight season, the Bears will enter free agency with some of the most cap space and will have not one but two first-round picks inside the top 10 and a chance to have two top-five picks depending on how things play out.
Going further, the Bears will have the No.1 pick for the second consecutive season after trading it to Carolina as part of last season's DJ Moore deal. That trade gave the Panthers the No. 1 pick last year, which they used on Bryce Young, but landed the Bears the top pick this year, which happens to be No. 1 overall. Given the Bears current position, there are many ways the team could go with it and that starts by possibly trading the pick away once again to land more assets and or pieces. As things sit right now, many expect the Bears to keep their No. 1 pick and use it on a guy like Marvin Harrison Jr or Caleb Williams. Both have the potential to be franchise-altering players, but unless Harrison ends up being one of the best WRs in the game, is he worth the No. 1 pick? The same case can be made about Williams or Drake Maye as to whether or not they are better than Justin Fields. Potentially, they might be, but at this point in their career, they are not, which is why it does seem likely that the Bears hold on to Fields, making it more likely they trade the No. 1 pick away once again. Who they trade the pick to and what they get in return would be the huge question, but either way, the Bears will have another selection to make in the top 10, which is where even more debate comes into play. According to most mock drafts, they have the Bears taking an offensive tackle with their other top 10 pick, as Notre Dame Tackle Joe Alt and Penn State Tackle Olu Fashanu are the most common names linked to the Bears. You also have the defensive side mentioned, where Dallas Turner continues to have his name linked to Chicago and would be a very nice pickup for the Bears. However, one position that needs to be talked about more is the WR position, which the Bears know they need more depth, especially if Darnell Mooney isn't part of this team next season. Adding Harrison seems like a win for the Bears, but if they trade away their No. 1 pick for more assets, there is a high probability that he may not be available when the Bears come back and pick. As tough as that would be to swallow, this year's WR class could be the deepest it has been in quite some time, leaving the Bears with tons of options going forward. Malik Nabers is starting to gain traction with the Bears mainly because of where they pick. When you look at the season Nabers has had, you can see why he took a similar trajectory to what Justin Jefferson did at LSU and helped Jayden Daniels land the Heisman this season. He would be an excellent pickup for any team, but if the Bears are looking for a WR in the draft, allow me to introduce you to Rome Odunze. Of all the WRs in this year's class, Odunze is the most overlooked guy, which is hard to believe when you look at his season. He was the go-to man for Michael Penix Jr, and when you look at his numbers and compare them to Harrison or Nabers, you could make the case that he is the best WR in the country even if he isn't graded out that way. One of the Bears biggest offseason needs is finding outside help to pair with DJ Moore and at 6-3 and 217 pounds, Odunze not only has the size, but has the speed and intangables to be that big play threat to pair with Moore. This guy had less than 500 yards his first two seasons before breaking out for 1145 yards and seven TDs with Penix in 2022. He follows that up with one of the best WR seasons in Washington history this past season, as he has 81 receptions for 1428 yards and 13 TDs with one or maybe two games left. As if those numbers don't get you excited, the 4.3 speed for a guy that size will be as he is a big play threat every time he touches the ball. He has the speed to make the big play, evident by his 17.6 YPC, while also having the route running efficiency to be a true No.1 in this league. If I'm the Bears and he is sitting where they are picking in the first round, he is my guy, as he will be the perfect combo with Moore.
