Terry McLaurin, Not DK Metcalf, Is The Unhappy WR Bears Should Target

The discussions about the Chicago Bears pursuing a star wide receiver feel pointless. After watching GM Ryan Poles operate for months now, it is pretty obvious the man knows where this team is. It's rebuilding. Rebuilding teams don't take wild swings on veteran players who want fat, new contracts. Still, Justin Fields is entering a critical phase of his development. One should wish to give him every opportunity to excel. Adding a star receiver, if possible, makes sense. This is why talks about DK Metcalf continues to have legs. Except he isn't the disgruntled wide receiver they should target. It's Terry McLaurin. Metcalf is a physical specimen with great size. He's arguably one of the NFL's two or three best deep threats. However, McLaurin is the better overall player. He has the speed to threaten on the outside and is a tactical route runner, making him equally dangerous in the slot. Think about this. Metcalf has 3,170 yards receiving over the past three years. That is with Russell Wilson throwing him the ball. McLaurin has 3,090, with guys like Dwayne Haskins, Case Keenum, Alex Smith, Taylor Heinicke, Kyle Allen, and Garrett Gilbert throwing him the ball. This kid is a start. Now it seems he's unhappy with his team.

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Terry McLaurin and Darnell Mooney would be lethal.

Both are dangerous by themselves. Together? It would be almost unfair. Mooney can force defenses to protect against his deep threat, enabling McLaurin to feast on the intermediate level, where he's already dangerous. That would put less pressure on guys like Byron Pringle and Velus Jones, giving the Bears a diverse, deep, and speedy attack for Fields to utilize. Imagining such a thing is such fun. Sadly the odds are unlikely. While the Bears have the cap space to afford Terry McLaurin and his big contract extension, Washington isn't going to trade him. He's far too important to their offense. Not only that, but Poles won't want to pay the price to get him that is a virtual certainty to involve a 1st round pick. This is a GM that doesn't believe spending big draft capital on veterans is the path to success. It is hard to fault that logic after what happened the previous decade for the Bears. Still, it's hard not to love the idea of McLaurin.