2023 NFL Free Agency: 3 free-agent wide receivers the Bears should pursue this offseason

With every Chicago Bears loss comes the tracking of their 2023 NFL Draft first-round pick. It makes sense to do that, of course. High first-round picks are the hope of every franchise coming off a losing season. But before we can project which players the Bears should take with their upcoming draft picks, it’s important to remember that GM Ryan Poles will use free agency to fill many of Chicago’s glaring needs.

The Bears are projected to have the most money under the salary cap entering the 2023 free agency signing period. In fact, it won’t even be close. If Chicago has their heart set on a player, he’s as good as theirs.

One area the Bears will target is an upgrade at wide receiver. The trade for Chase Claypool was a big step in the right direction, and it cost them their second-round pick. It was a hefty price to pay for Claypool, who should begin next season as the presumptive WR1. Darnell Mooney suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 12, but he should be back to full strength by the time training camp rolls around. And that’s where the sure-things end on the Bears’ wide receiver depth chart.

Rookie Velus Jones Jr. is a developmental project with a lot of work to do before he factors into the passing game. Veterans Equanimeous St. Brown and Dante Pettis aren’t locks to make the roster in 2023. Former New England Patriots first-round pick N’Keal Harry has the most upside of the depth players, but even he isn’t a sure thing in 2023.

Enter free agency, where Poles can pluck at least one starting-caliber wideout to go along with Claypool and Mooney. The good news for Poles is that he won’t have to overpay for any of next year’s crop of free agents. It’s an average bunch of names. But beggars can’t be choosers, and the Bears have to add more talent to their current group.

Here are three options that’d make the most sense.

Jakobi Meyers, New England Patriots

Meyers has quietly been a key cog in the Patriots passing game over the last few seasons and is having another quality year with 50 catches for 593 yards and three touchdowns entering Week 14. He had a career-high 866 yards in 2021 and, at 26 years old, is entering his prime years. A contested-catch dynamo, Meyers would be a nice change-of-pace target for Justin Fields.

Darius Slayton, New York Giants

Slayton has had a bizarre career with the Giants since joining the team as a fifth-round pick in the 2019 NFL draft. He posted 740 yards and eight touchdowns as a rookie and looked like a star on the rise.But his production declined over the next two seasons before getting back on track as New York’s best wide receiver in 2022. Slayton is a nice blend of downfield playmaking and after-the-catch ability who’d complement Claypool and Mooney perfectly.

Allen Lazard, Green Bay Packers

You can bet the Bears will be in on the Lazard sweepstakes because of his familiarity with offensive coordinator Luke Getsy, not to mention the added bonus of taking him away from a division rival. Lazard isn’t the most dynamic playmaker, but his 6-5, 227-pound frame would make him and Claypool a twin-tower nightmare for defensive backs. Lazard is on pace to set a career-high in touchdown receptions this season.