The Biggest Bears Free Agency Steal Isn't Who You Think It Is

The Chicago Bears free agency tour rolls on. Odds are they're not done making moves before the NFL draft in April, but most of the big ones are in the past. At this point the discussion inevitably shifts to who they got and whether or not the team did a good job. Not just in terms of talent but also value. Did they overpay or get a bargain? By far the biggest contract they handed out was to quarterback Mike Glennon. Not a surprise given the position he plays. There is also tight end Dion Sims, a stout blocker and underrated pass catcher. Veteran safety Quintin Demps and cornerbacks Prince Amukamara and Marcus Cooper help to bolster an undermanned secondary on defense. Even the sneaky addition of receiver Kendall Wright was met with praise. However, none of them could end up being quite the gem as another addition. One that seems so benign now but may have massive repercussions in the near future. Markus Wheaton was a highly touted receiver coming out of college in 2013. He left Oregon State as the all-time leader in receptions. His speed was evident on every play, but that wasn't the totality of his game. Scouts loved his quickness and athleticism, enabling him to play both inside and outside. So much in fact that he drew comparisons to superstar Antonio Brown of the Pittsburgh Steelers. He would have no idea how ironic that was. For it would be the Steelers who drafted him in the third round that year. Though that was a tremendous honor, it also proved a curse. Wheaton became stuck on a loaded roster. Brown was already established as the go-to receiver. Then there were other targets like Martavis Bryant and Heath Miller to contend with as well. Wheaton rarely got the chance to be the feature guy in the game plans. The few times he did though, he delivered. [video width="1280" height="720" mp4="https://www.sportsmockery.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/Markus-Wheaton-Highlights-Week-12-Steelers-vs.-Seahawks-NFL.mp4"][/video] Here's a stat that will stagger some people. In 2015, Wheaton posted his best statistical season with 749 yards and five touchdowns. He did this while being targeted just 79 times over the course of the season. Brown by comparison was thrown to an absurd 193 times. In total. Out of 584 total targets on the year, Wheaton received just 10.54%. Yet he still managed to come just 251 yards shy of 1,000. That's some solid bang for buck. Imagine what might happen if he became a more prominent part of the passing game. If there wasn't an Antonio Brown hanging over his head to steal so many chances. Chicago certainly doesn't have anybody of that caliber standing in his way. Wheaton is 26-years old and hasn't lost any of that trademark speed. He's got a major league chip on his shoulder after being overshadowed for so long.

Dowell Loggains showed an ability last season to get guys like him open. It was true of Eddie Royal and even Josh Bellamy at times. There is a strong chance that by the end of this season that two-year, $11 million contract he signed will look like the mother of all steals for the Bears free agency operations.