The drama over the Chicago Bears’ immediate future is ongoing. Will they bring back head coach Matt Eberflus? Will they make key subtractions and additions to the rest of the coaching staff? Will they trade quarterback Justin Fields away to start in a new direction? And, maybe overriding everything, what will they do with their no. 1 overall pick in this year’s NFL Draft?
Oh yeah, and there’s the fact that the team is currently cash-rich and will have a nice amount of spendable income to beef up the roster with veteran talent.
Free Agency Spending Looms Large
Actually, no matter what happens with Fields, the coaching staff, and their no. 1 pick, free agency appears to loom large in the Bears’ plans. And this reality has experts and pundits talking about Chicago’s likely spending spree this offseason.
Big prediction for the offseason: The Bears will use the No. 1 pick on a new quarterback and invest in that quarterback by signing Mike Evans, one of the top free agent wide receivers. Evans has 10 straight 1,000-yard seasons and would pair nicely with DJ Moore in this offense.
Evans, a five-time Pro-Bowler, has been the picture of consistency and durability among wide receivers, never missing more than three games in a season and notching 1,000+ receiving yards in each of his ten NFL seasons.
A fixture on the Tampa Bay Buccaneers offense, Evans will be 31 by the start of next season and headed into the wrong side of his physical prime. But there’ve been no signs of him slowing down. As a matter of fact, 2023 saw him grab 1255 yards, the third most of his pro career. With a competitor like Evans, using the assets he uses, he should be riding at prime level for at least a few more years, unless some unforeseeable injury presents itself, of course.
Mike Evans, DJ Moore: A Perfect Bland Of Assets
Adding the big, rough, and physical 6’5’’, 230+ lbs. Evans as a co-A side wide receiver in a crew that already features the smooth, explosive, and athletic DJ Moore running plays would be tremendous. It would give the Bears a nice pair of contrasting assets to help mix up the offense and throw opposition off-kilter.
Adding Evans as a patient, dependable, durable veteran presence would help any quarterback at the helm in Chicago. If the team decides to stick with Fields, Evans would serve as a stabilizing presence and give the 24-year-old a dependable wide receiver option. If the team opts to ditch Fields and draft blue chip USC prospect Caleb Williams with their overall no. 1 pick, Evans would be there to help Williams as a calming veteran presence, who is also reliable and an established offensive leader.
Signing Evans is a Win-Win
Signing Mike Evans certainly appears to be a win-win for Chicago, no matter what they decide to do with their coaching staff and quarterback situation.
Of course, bringing Evans aboard won’t be cheap. The thought is that he’d want a 4-5 year contract paying about $20 million per season. But, again, the Bears are currently loaded with cash and, reportedly, willing to spend. According to Spotrac, in 2024, the Bears will have about $67 million to play with, currently the fifth-most cap space in the NFL. A player like Evans (and an investment in the offense in general) would be a wise investment to make in a team that will have a quality quarterback– whether it’s Fields or Williams– who needs some veteran tools to help him settle down and shine.
Time will tell what the Bears ultimately decide to do when it comes to, well, just about everything. But there should be no controversy about the value of bringing in Mike Evans.
