The Chicago Bears are widely expected to use a first-round pick on a wide receiver in the 2024 NFL Draft. Their second first-round pick is currently slotted ninth overall, which has a chance to be a sweet spot for whoever ends up being WR3 in this year's draft class.
Prospects like Malik Nabers (LSU) and Rome Odunze (Washington) are the common names attached to the Bears, but perhaps GM Ryan Poles will take a different approach to upgrading his playmakers: free agency.
This year's class of free-agent receivers is solid. Tee Higgins (Bengals) is the gold standard, but he isn't the only massive upgrade the Chicago Bears could pursue. Michael Pittman (Colts) and Mike Evans (Buccaneers) are also scheduled to be free agents, and if they hit the open market, Poles could be tempted to pay a hefty price for their services.
There's a second tier of free-agent receivers who could also move the Bears away from drafting a pass-catcher in the first round, and in Pro Football Focus' recent projection of free-agency landing spots, Chicago was pegged as a potential destination for two intriguing names: Calvin Ridley (Jaguars) and Curtis Samuel (Commanders).
"Ridley could take the top off defenses even more and let Moore utilize his high-end after-the-catch abilities at the short and intermediate levels," PFF's Brad Spielberger wrote.
As for Samuel?
"Samuel offers a skill set the Bears seemingly tried to acquire in drafting Velus Jones Jr. — he can carry the ball out of the backfield and also rack up yards after the catch from slot and wide alignments."
Perhaps Bears fans will be underwhelmed by the prospect of signing either Ridley or Samuel, but they could do a lot worse. And remember: signing either veteran receiver doesn't prevent Poles from still selecting one in the first round. In fact, that could be the best strategy, considering Chicago's wide receiver depth chart behind DJ Moore has no starting-caliber players on it.
Ridley, 29, had the second 1,000-yard season of his career in 2023 and scored eight touchdowns. Once viewed as one of the top young receivers in the NFL, Ridley was suspended for the 2022 season for gambling. He stepped away from football in 2021 for mental health reasons.
Signing Ridley would be a risky move by the Chicago Bears, but if they ink him to a short-term, team-friendly deal? Why not.
Samuel, meanwhile, has been more of a gadget player throughout his career. He's never had more than 857 receiving yards in any of his seven seasons, but at 27 years old, he's still in his prime and has a close relationship with Moore. Perhaps the Bears will view him as a quality WR3 who complements Moore and a first-round rookie. Not bad.
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