The Bears depth chart on offense got a huge boost with the addition of DJ Moore in the trade with the Panthers for the No. 1 pick.
It was plainly clear in 2022 that Bears quarterback Justin Fields didn’t have enough weapons to target. His leading pass catcher was tight end Cole Kmet with just 544 yards and seven touchdowns.
No NFL offense can thrive with that lack of production at the wide receiver spot. So the Bears went out and did something about it.
Instead of dipping into the paltry free agent market for wide receivers, they traded the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Panthers for a haul of picks and their new No. 1 wide receiver: DJ Moore.
In a down year with Carolina, Moore had 888 yards and seven touchdowns. That’s more than Chicago’s leading wide receivers, Darnell Mooney and Equanimeous St. Brown, had combined.
There’s no question Moore is a huge upgrade for the Bears. His consistent production for the Panthers at such a young age and with little certainty at quarterback bodes well for his time in Chicago. He posted three consecutive 1,000-yard seasons before 2022 with a different primary QB each year.
Moore will give Fields a steady target to rely on, hopefully freeing Mooney, St. Brown, a healthy Chase Claypool and others to improve their productivity as well.
Bears depth chart: Where DJ Moore fits in Chicago
- Quarterback
- Justin Fields
- Trevor Siemian
- Running back
- David Montgomery (FA)
- Khalil Herbert
- Wide receiver 1
- DJ Moore
- Equanimeous St. Brown
- Wide receiver 2
- Chase Claypool
- Velus Jones Jr.
- Wide receiver 3
- Darnell Mooney
- Dante Pettis (FA)
- Tight end
- Fullback
- Offensive line
- LT: Braxton Jones
- LG Cody Whitehair
- C: Patrick Lucas
- RG Teven Jenkins
- RT Alex Leatherwood
As you can see, that offense still needs a lot of work, particularly on the offensive line, which pretty much needs a full overhaul.
The good news is Moore’s addition simplifies things for the Bears. They don’t have to go big game hunting at wide receiver anymore. Now that they’ve acquired a No. 1 guy, they can look to add value depth at the position.
The focus can shift fully to the offensive line, which will need to be addressed through free agency and the draft.
There may be more room to work at keeping David Montgomery in Chicago as well considering the reasonable price the Bears got on Moore’s contract, which includes a cap hit of $20 million this year and $16 million in 2024 and 2025.
