The
Chicago Bears offense has a lot to prove this year. They've long been viewed as the anchor holding this team back from proper contention. Failing to finish in the top 20 since 2016 can have that effect. Yet there is more optimism than normal going into this year. A big part of that is their remade quarterback room headlined by Andy Dalton and Justin Fields. However, there is also a buzz going around on their wide receiver group. Most of the
excitement centering on Darnell Mooney.
The second-year receiver is coming off one of the best rookie campaigns a Bears receiver has ever had. That isn't saying much but it's still noteworthy. He broke the franchise record for receptions by a rookie with 61 and finished with 631 yards and four touchdowns. Anybody who watched the tape knows those numbers should've been far higher if his QBs could only hit him down the field. It appears fans are getting a proper glimpse of how dangerous he is in camp this year.
His latest highlight punctuates how far his game goes beyond just speed.
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That's right. Darnell Mooney can catch too. People forget how reliable his hands were in 2020. He finished with just one drop. Not something you'd expect from a receiver of his size. This stab in pretty decent coverage by Thomas Graham Jr. illustrates that Mooney isn't a one-trick pony. It isn't just run the vertical
route and we'll see if we can find you. The guys if fully capable of making plays normal receivers can too.
What has stood out the most in camp isn't either of those things though. It's his route running. Mooney was already pretty good at this coming out of Tulane. After an offseason spent with Allen Robinson? He seems to have upgraded. He has left a number of jockstraps on the field already and the first week is barely over. Here is hoping he saves some of that for the regular season.
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