The Chicago Bears traded for superstar wide receiver Keenan Allen this week, a move that can only be described as a surprising blockbuster for a passing offense that's lacked a dynamic pair of wideouts since the days of Brandon Marshall and Alshon Jeffery.
The best part? The Bears only had to send the Los Angeles Chargers a fourth-round pick for Allen, who set a career high with 108 receptions in just 13 games last season.
General manager Ryan Poles came under fire from Bears fans who grew frustrated with his lack of activity in free agency following the first few signings of RB D'Andre Swift and TE Gerald Everett. But as we've learned quickly over the last three offseasons with Poles behind the wheel, he can't be underestimated.
In fact, he won a bidding war for Allen. Two other teams -- the New York Jets and Houston Texans -- were in the Allen sweepstakes.
Keenan Allen was on the phone with his agent Joby Branion Thursday when the Bears called in the process of working out a trade with the Los Angeles Chargers. Allen said there were two teams the Chargers would allow him to explore in a trade - the Jets and the Texans - but…
— Courtney Cronin (@CourtneyRCronin) March 16, 2024
Keenan Allen will pair with DJ Moore to form one of the NFC's most formidable wide receiver tandems. He met with the Chicago media Saturday and explained why he thinks the Bears will be hard to stop in 2024.
"We can be really special," Allen said. "Like you said, we got weapons. You guys who can beat man all over the field. So double teaming one guy is going to be costly for the defense. I think we can use that as our advantage. Having a running back that can come out of the backfield and make plays and beat 1-on-1s, that’s kind of big."