Bear Digest

Bears Get Serious About Helping Justin Fields

Former Steelers receiver Chase Claypool, acquired for a second-round pick, has Bears GM Ryan Poles excited about more talent to help Justin Fields.

Gene Chamberlain

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Anyone still doubting how much Bears GM Ryan Poles likes quarterback Justin Fields can rest at ease.

Just before the trade deadline Tuesday Poles made a move with Fields' future firmly in mind by trading away the Bears' 2023 second-round pick in exchange for Steelers receiver Chase Claypool.

"I am excited about this player," Poles said. "I really like the way that our offense is starting to come together and move. I thought it was imporant to add another impact player to our offense to go along with the guys that we currently have in the receiver room right now

"I like the way Justin is trending and I thought adding another big body who's physical, explosive, great elapning ability, can stretch the field, also is violent with the ball in his hand as well as a blocker, I think that enhances everyone around him."

Claypool, who is 6-foot-4, 238 pounds and measured at 40 1/2 inches for a vertical leap at the combine, has been criticized by some in Pittsburgh as too unproductive.

"As a quarterback—and you all know where I come from (Kansas City) —you can never have enough weapons and guys that help your quarterback gain confidence," Poles said. "I know a lot of the guys are starting to make plays for us.

"Adding another receiver is going to allow (Fields) to continue to grow and gain that confidence."

Claypool currently has the best receiving percentage of his career (64%) but is averaging a career-low 9.7 yards per catch after averaging 14.3 in his first two seasons. He is averaging four catches a game after averaging 3.8 and 3.9 catches in his first two seasons.

What has been down are his touchdown receptions. He had nine as a rookie in 2020 when he was a second-round Steelers draft pick. In the last two seasons he's had three total.

Poles pointed to the circumstances around Poles as a reason. The Steelers have had Mitchell Trubisky and rookie Kenny Pickett at quarterback, and last year fading Ben Roethlisberger in his final season. Rookie receiver George Pickens was also taking away catches from Claypool.

"There’s a lot of changes going on there, so you have to just look at the scenario and put it all together," Poles said. "I think he’ll be fine."

The contract situation is a concern with Claypool. The Bears gave up a second-round pick and will have only 1 1/2 seasons of Claypool on his rookie contract before he needs a new deal.

But Poles felt the fact he has more than a season to look at Claypool could make a decision easier in the future.

"The contract definitely helps, but just like everybody else, we're going to take this season and see how everything works out and go from there," Poles said.

A real mystery is whether Poles would have made the deal without the extra second-round draft pick in his pocket from the Monday trade of Roquan Smith to Baltimore.

"That's hard to say," Poles said. "They really were two different things. Obviously it helps to continue to build the way that I want to build, which is through the draft, and what we want to build. That did help."

The real challenge belongs here to coach Matt Eberflus and staff, specifically receivers coach Tyke Tolbert, in getting Claypool up to date on the offense.

"Like I said, this is not easy for a coaching staff, at this point in the week and of the year, to do this," Poles said. "So they'll start piecing it together."

The bottom line for this trade at this particular time is the free agent market next spring. Top receivers like D.K. Metcalf, Deebo Samuel and Terry McLaurin have all signed deals and the cupboard looks bare.

"That's part of my job and part of my crew upstairs, is, you have to do a little bit of forecasting and looking down the road," Poles said. "I just didn’t feel completely comfortable with that. 

"Not to say that there’s not good players there. I just didn’t feel comfortable with not maybe being a little bit more aggressive at this point."

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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