The Chicago Bears have a new dynamic duo in DJ Moore and Keenan Allen. They are ready to help transform the new-look offense in 2024.
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has done whatever he could to bring a winning team back to the city. He made some big decisions and big swings to transform a team that only has two Super Bowl appearances ever and just seven playoff appearances in the past 30 seasons.
When Poles took over in 2022, he said that Year 3 would be the critical season. He wanted his team to take a big step forward and become a real playoff contender. Well, here we are in Year 3 and he is trying to make that happen.
While some of his moves are questionable and go against what he did in his first two seasons, Poles has brought a lot of excitement to Chicago Bears football. He traded quarterback Justin Fields so there will be another change there. With the Bears owning the number one pick in April’s NFL Draft, Poles will likely choose USC quarterback Caleb Williams.
Some consider Williams to be a “generational” talent. He draws comparisons to Peyton Manning and Patrick Mahomes. The temptation to choose Williams over trading the pick for a historic haul was too much, especially when he traded the top pick last year and missed out on Offensive Rookie of the Year C.J. Stroud.
Poles improves the wide receivers corps
Poles also made a move to bolster the wide receiver room. He traded a fourth-round pick for the 2013 Offensive Rookie of the Year, 2017 Comeback Player of the Year, and six-time Pro-Bowler Keenan Allen. Allen will now join forces with another excellent receiver, D.J. Moore.
Moore and Allen could team up to become a dynamic duo on offense. If Williams can get them the ball consistently, this could be one dangerous offense. Last season, Allen had 108 catches for 1,243 yards and 7 touchdowns. He averaged 11.5 yards per catch. Moore had 96 catches for 1,364 yards and 8 touchdowns. He averaged 14.2 yards per catch.
That is 2,607 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns combined. That is amazing considering the entire wide receivers corps for the Chicago Bears had 2,090 total receiving yards and 10 touchdowns.
Additionally, Poles fired offensive coordinator Luke Getsy. Getsy was a mess at his job, not making adjustments for what he had and calling a very suspect game. Poles brought in Shane Waldron, who had the same position with the Seattle Seahawks.
The Bears also have Velus Jones Jr and Tyler Scott on the roster. Both are speedy receivers who can also stretch the defense. While neither was impactful in 2023, perhaps Waldron and Williams could help them improve. There is also the draft, where Poles is expected to draft another receiver.
Williams could be stepping into the best possible situation that any number-one pick has ever had. usually, the top picks go to very bad teams. However, the Chicago Bears were 7-10 last season (with three late-game collapses) and made improvements both on offense and defense.
Moore and Allen on a race to 1,000 yards
Poles brought Moore in through the blockbuster trade of the top pick in 2023. That trade could end up being one of the greatest deals in the history of the Chicago Bears.
Now Poles adds another great receiver. Moore is excited to be paired with Allen.
I know we’ve both talked about how we’re going to complement each other. So I’m just looking forward to that,
It might be a race to 1,000 yards, but that’s just a friendly competition. At the end of the day, if we’re winning, whoever is catching the ball, I don’t care… His game has spoken for it all. He’s a savvy route runner. He sets people up and makes people look silly out there. I’m looking forward to learning from him.
Talking about how Allen is a savvy route runner and how he sets people up Moore could easily be talking about his own game. Moore is a superior route runner and does a great job of creating separation. Having Allen do the same on the other side will create a lot of fun.
The Chicago Bears are still the only team in NFL history to never have a quarterback throw for 4,000 yards. However, if Moore and Allen can get nearly 3,000 between both of them, then that number could be eclipsed easily.
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