D.J. Moore is exactly what the Bears and Justin Fields need
When the Chicago Bears secured the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft it was pretty obviously they were not going to take a quarterback due to their continued belief in Justin Fields.
So they did the logical thing and traded the pick to a team that did need a quarterback (Carolina) and secured a treasure chest of draft picks and players.
The main player acquired in that deal was veteran wide receiver D.J. Moore, and he showed on Saturday why he can be exactly what both Fields and the Bears need to take a big step forward in the NFC North.
Moore is already one of the best wide receivers in football and has shown big-play ability throughout his career with the Panthers. It took him just a handful of plays in his preseason debut with the Bears to show what he is capable of. Watch as he took a short screen pass from Fields and blew through the Titans secondary for an effortless looking touchdown.
That is exactly what the Bears need on offense.
For all of the criticism that Fields takes for his passing, he was one of the most accurate downfield passers in the NFL last season and has not really struggled throwing the deep ball.
It is the intermediate and short passes that have given him trouble.
And while Moore can certainly be a downfield threat to give Fields another target, he is also excellent at taking short passes and turning them into big gains like the play above. Having a player like that can be a huge benefit for Fields in his continued development.
Saturday's preseason game saw him go 3-for-3 passing for 129 yards and two touchdowns. All three of the completions were short passes that turned into big gains. That is an element the Bears offense has lacked.
Bears head coach Matt Eberflus addressed that after the game on Saturday.
"When you add a playmaker like that to your football team, there's excitement," Bears coach Matt Eberflus said, via 670 The Score. "I mean, just automatic excitement in the whole building. You know this guy is special and he can make a lot of things happen. I would say his attitude and his personality are very infectious. He kind of lights up a room when he comes into it. "He brings all that energy to the team."
The Bears are quickly putting together an offense that has a ton of potential on paper.
Moore, Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool represent a promising trio at wide receiver, while Cole Kmet has become a very reliable target at tight end.
Combine those skill position players with Fields' ability to make plays on the run, and the Bears offense might be able to make some serious noise this season.
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