Bears host Pro-Bowl receiver DJ Chark |
Dustin Riese
· · 9 hours ago
It has been a while since the Chicago Bears have been in the news, and for once, that is a good thing. Gone are the days when this team was the center of attention, wondering how bad they could be, and welcome to a new era of Bears football, filled with excitement. Once training camp starts, you should see the Bears discussed a bit more, as they still have some roster openings they would like to address.
However, if recent reports are accurate, not only are the Bears looking to fill the positions they know they need to fill, but they are also seeking talent across the board, regardless of position. Take the news coming from the Wide Receiver room the other day, as veteran Wide Receiver DJ Chark was not only in Chicago but also visited the Bears' front office, leading many to believe what comes next. For a team that already has DJ Moore and Rome Odunze as their top two options, paired with Olamide Zaccheaus, Luther Burdon, and Devin Duvernay, the wide receiver room certainly isn't as much of a priority as it once was. Still, if Chark and the Bears are discussing a potential deal, adding him to this roster would make the wide receiver room that much better and would give the Bears a much-needed veteran to lead that group. Still considered one of the top receivers on the open market, the 28-year-old Chark still has plenty of football to offer and is far from being done. Not to mention, he has some previous experience working with Antwan Randel-El in Detroit, and you can see why Chark has some interest in potentially landing with the Bears. Listed at 6-3 and 200 pounds, Chark not only has excellent size, but his 4.4 speed also proves he has great speed to complement that size. Basically a non-existent player last season with the Chargers, Chark has put together some excellent years with the Jaguars and Lions and has 3100 career receiving yards up to this point. With that comes 24 touchdowns, as eight of those came in the 2019 season when he hauled in a career high eight touchdowns. That was also the only time Chark topped the century mark as he finished that season with 1008 yards before adding another 706 yards in 2020. That was his final season in Jacksonville as Chark wound up signing with the Lions the following offseason in hopes of becoming a legitimate No.2 option for years to come. Not only did that not happen, but Chark was forced to be the team's No.1 on several occasions as his career has gone south since arriving in the Motor City. Sure, his 502 yards in 2022 with the Lions were a decent season, but he found himself in Carolina the following year, where he finished the season with 525 yards. That makes 1,027 yards in two seasons, and when you compare that to what he did with the Jaguars, you can see the decline coming. The past two seasons provide proof as he latched on with the Chargers last season, only to finish the season with 31 yards in seven games. Something was off with Chark last season, which could be why he is a free agent again. Regardless, there does appear to be some interest between Chark and the Bears, and given the connection he has with not only Randel-EL, but Ben Johnson as well, you have to think a deal could be coming. Adding Chark to an already improving WR room would not only make that room deeper, but Chark wouldn't be expected to shoulder the load. In fact, he would come into the season as the team's No. 3 or even No. 4 option, so any production from that spot would be considered a win. Either way, it's great to see the Bears back in the news after a dead period, and knowing they are still trying to add pieces has to have the fans excited. According to @RapSheet , The Chicago Bears hosted veteran WR D.J Chark for a visit.
The 6'3, 200lb WR is a 1-time Pro Bowler. He played under Ben Johnson in Detroit in '22, where he had 502 rec yards, 16.7 ypc, and 3 TD.
Something to keep an eye on.... pic.twitter.com/VXP3iOx27x
