The Chicago Bears continue to prep for their final preseason game this weekend as they will travel to Tennessee to take on the Titans. One of the biggest concerns so far during the preseason as the offense has struggled consistently to sustain drives and score points. One of the glaring issues with Chicago's offense is the team's lack of depth at the wide receiver position behind Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney.

The Offense Lacks A True Third Wide Receiver At The Moment

Outside of Mooney and Robinson, no receiver other than Rodney Adams has stood out on offense this preseason for the Bears. Marquise Goodwin has yet to play in a game as he has been sidelined with a foot injury, while Damiere Byrd hasn't stood out in Chicago's two preseason games so far. The other receiver expected to contribute this season is rookie Dazz Newsome, but he has been ineffective after returning from a broken collar bone. The problem with the lack of talent is that Chicago has no receiver ready to step up and become a difference-maker with the defensive attention that is expected to be paid to both Mooney and Robinson. The two starting receivers combined for over 1800 receiving yards and ten touchdown catches. Whether it's Andy Dalton or Justin Fields at quarterback, the offense is in dire need of having a third receiver to capitalize and be an effective option in the passing game.

Last season, the Bears were able to get makeshift production at wide receiver because of the depth that they had at the position. Anthony Miller proved to be a threat early on as he caught two game-winning touchdowns early in the season and would finish the 2020 campaign with nearly 500 receiving yards. Goodwin used to be a tremendous receiving threat as he almost had a 1,000 yard receiving season in 2017 while averaging 17 yards per reception. Byrd had success with the New England Patriots last season as he caught 47 passes for over 600 yards, despite the Patriots having numerous issues at the quarterback position. The main concern with the former South Carolina receiver is that he has been unable to stay in one spot as the Bears will be his fourth team in the past four seasons. Furthermore, Byrd has lacked an explosive ability as he has only four touchdown catches during his five-year NFL career.

The Bears Knew The Wide Receiver Depth Was An Issue And Couldn't Address It

General manager Ryan Pace knew that the wide receiver depth was an issue and made a significant attempt to address it during the offseason. Pace made a push to sign free agent receiver Kenny Golladay, who paired with Mooney and Robinson, would have given the Bears one of the best wide receiver trios in the NFL. The two issues that limited Chicago's general manager from fully addressing the receiver position was the limited cap space and the dire need to fix the quarterback position.

Whether it was nearly trading for All-Pro quarterback Russell Wilson, cutting cornerback Kyle Fuller to clear cap-space for Dalton, or trading up in the first round to draft Fields, Pace had little to no resources to address the Bears' receiver position. One free-agent receiver the Bears could have potentially had they had more cap space could have been Curtis Samuel, who signed a three-year 34 million dollar deal with the Washington Football team during this past offseason. Samuel would have been a perfect fit in Matt Nagy's offense and would have replaced Patterson's role as a hybrid wide receiver/running back. The former Carolina Panthers receiver had 1,000 yards from scrimmage last year as he recorded three receiving touchdowns and two rushing touchdowns. Nagy loved Patterson's ability to be a threat in the passing and rushing game but does not currently have a receiver on the roster that can fill the void left.

Pace may now have to resort to trading for a proven receiver before the start of the season or signing a receiver who is cut following the completion of the preseason this weekend. Whether it's Odell Beckham Jr., Andy Isabella, or Alshon Jeffery, the Bears will likely add another veteran wide receiver before their week one game against the Los Angeles Rams. If the team can add a proven receiver to pair with Robinson and Mooney, the offense has a good chance of thriving early in the season.

The Bears need to address the receiver position, not just from a talent standpoint, but to protect against injury if Mooney and Robinson go down. The offense will struggle if either receiver goes down with an injury. Pace and Nagy were aware of the situation during the offseason but lacked the resources to address it. With the season now just three weeks away, they will need to make the most of a bad situation.