Matt Eberflus' Comparison For D.J. Moore Didn't Disappoint

Matt Eberflus has been around the NFL for a long time. The Chicago Bears head coach isn't short on experiences when it comes to great wide receivers. His four years in Indianapolis alone saw him have to game plan for guys like DeAndre Hopkins, A.J. Brown, Tyreek Hill, and Stefon Diggs. It has sharpened his eye over the years, helping him to know whenever he's facing somebody special. Somebody that will require special attention schematically in order to slow down. In his mind, D.J. Moore is one of those types.

Eberflus feels he's seen somebody like Moore before. During an interview with Adam Jahns of The Athletic, he dropped a name that comes up the most often in his mind when watching the new Bears receiver. Is it Diggs, whom so many have compared him to? Nope. It's Dez Bryant.

“There are some similarities there,” Eberflus said during a recent interview with The Athletic. “Dez was a big strong guy, who’s just like DJ. DJ’s strong. He’s got strong hands; he’s strong through the catch. He can use his body to stay open because of that strength. And when you have a guy that you can go to like that, it’s so important because the quarterback can rely on that.

“And a lot of times what happens is when you have a guy like that, the coverage will shift, or they’ll put a player on him that’s probably their best player, if they’re going to be singled up, and then that creates opportunities for everybody else, either through the coverage shift or through the personnel shift to that guy.”

That is not the name anybody would've guessed Eberflus envisioned. The head coach worked alongside the former Dallas Cowboys All-Pro for seven seasons. Between 2012 and 2014, he was arguably the best receiver in football, with 3,935 yards and 41 touchdowns.

Matt Eberflus is paying Moore the highest compliment.

Bryant may have been a volatile personality, but nobody can debate the guy was a superstar. It was tragic how an Achilles injury ruined his career. If the Bears head coach is right about this comparison, then Moore is an even greater acquisition than we thought. Bryant's ability to draw extra attention made life so much easier for teammates. Jason Witten enjoyed his last 1,000-yard season in 2012. Running back DeMarco Murray rushed for over 1800 yards in 2014. Moore could do the same for guys like Cole Kmet, Chase Claypool, and Darnell Mooney.

Yet the person who benefits the most will be Justin Fields. Moore is the most talented receiver the Bears quarterback has worked with to date in the NFL. Everybody saw what Bryant did for Tony Romo. The Cowboys quarterback had his best-ever season in 2014. Matt Eberflus recognizes how beneficial this relationship will be to the Bears. If Moore lives up to even 80% of that Bryant comparison, this passing game will be so much better than it was a season ago.