Bears will have their chance at a blue-chip WR in the draft. But will they bite?

Bears will have their chance at a blue-chip WR in the draft. But will they bite? originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

This offseason's NFL free agency has proven to be quite like that of NBA free agency, with players moving teams every which way.

The Bears have made their fair share of signings. Most notably, they signed running back D'Andre Swift to a lucrative three-year deal that poses to make him $8 million per year. They've beefed up their offensive line with Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton. And they got a "quarterback on defense" in safety Kevin Byard.

But Ryan Poles and the front office have staved off signing anyone of merit to two key positions: edge rusher and wide receiver. That hasn't stopped the rest of the NFL from doing so, as both markets have seen quite a few laterals.

Because of free agency, a likely path has opened up for the Bears to draft a blue-chip wide receiver.

The Titans handed Jaguars wide receiver Calvin Ridley a monstrous four-year deal worth $92 million. The Falcons signed ex-Bears receiver Darnell Mooney to the tune of a three-year deal worth $39 million; they also traded Desmond Ridder to the Cardinals on Thursday for Rondale Moore.

Both these teams have a key detail in common: they draft in front of the Bears' No. 9 pick in the first round. That means, should the Bears want to draft a blue-chip wide receiver in the draft, they'll have their chance.

Let's review.

It's no secret the Bears will take USC's Caleb Williams with the first pick. And it's all but secured the Commanders and Patriots will also draft a quarterback. Most suspect the first wide receiver to come off the board will be Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr., who will undoubtedly go to the Cardinals at No. 4, should the top 3 all go for a quarterback.

That leaves the Chargers and Giants as the remaining X-factors.

The Chargers have a strong wide receiver core, headlined by Keenan Allen. But they've left Mike Williams --- who only played three games last season --- on the open market as part of a cap gymnastics plan. It should be noted the Bears could swipe him, should they be open to paying the price.

The Giants, on the other hand, are desolate at the wide receiver position. But they have bigger fish to fry. In the first year of his massive, four-year contract, Daniel Jones disappointed, playing just six games and throwing for 151.5 yards per game from those contests. Most suggest the Giants might opt to nab a quarterback.

In theory, that would leave the Bears with their choice of LSU's Malik Nabers or Washington's Rome Odunze. If this scenario unfolds in the draft, would the Bears pounce to bolster their pass-catching core?

That's exactly how the most recent NBC Sports Chicago mock draft played out. The Chargers jumped at Nabers, which would make sense if they lose Williams. And the Giants snagged Michigan quarterback J.J. McCarthy. That left Odunze wide open for the Bears to take at No. 9.

It's worth mentioning that both free-agent markets for edge rushers and wide receivers aren't spectacular. Both have a few intriguing names, but they aren't deep. For edge rushers, it's highlighted by Chase Young, Jadaveon Clowney and Calais Campbell. For receivers, it's Williams, Tyler Boyd, Michael Thomas and Marquise Brown.

That's not super exciting.

It would make sense for the Bears to kick the tires on Williams, check his medicals, and see what price he's asking for. Young, in my mind, is still a viable option opposite of Montez Sweat --- his former teammates --- considering he notched 7.5 sacks between the Commanders and 49ers last season. He's only 24 years old, too.

But I don't see how the Bears can't nail down one of those positions in free agency unless Poles has visions for Day 2 prospects that can fill the gaps immediately. And obviously, they have bigger fish to fry, as they continue to research Williams by going to his pro day at USC next week and bringing him to Halas Hall for a top-30 visit.

It'll be curious to see which route Poles takes to fill his team's two most pressing needs (outside of figuring out the quarterback situation). Rest assured, there are plenty of roads to take.

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