The NFL dead period is officially over, and things are heating up as training camps open. The Bears have agreed to trade receiver Anthony Miller to the Texans, sources told Mike Garafolo of NFL Network (Twitter link).
A divorce between Miller and Chicago has seemed likely most of this year, and now it’s official. Back in March we heard Chicago was shopping him, and about a month later it was reported the Bears had held trade talks with a number of teams. The 51st pick of the 2018 draft, Miller has flashed lots of potential at times but was a big disappointment in 2020.
The emergence of rookie Darnell Mooney last year made Miller expendable in Chicago. It never really kept him off the field, but Miller dealt with significant shoulder issues in both 2018 and 2019. His rookie season he caught seven touchdown passes, and he had 656 yards as a sophomore. But he took a step back last season, finishing with only 49 catches for 485 yards despite playing all 16 games.
From the Texans’ perspective, it makes a lot of sense. They’re almost certainly entering a rebuilding year in 2021, so it can’t hurt to take a look at a young player entering the final season of his rookie deal. Miller has shown some promise in the past, and Houston has a pretty uninspiring receiving group outside of Brandin Cooks after letting Will Fuller walk in free agency.
It’ll be interesting to see what the Texans gave up, although it’s likely nothing more than a late-round pick.
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