D’Andre Swift enjoyed the best year of his career last season with the Philadelphia Eagles, which led to a three-year, $24 million contract with the Chicago Bears in free agency.
Swift will take over as the featured back in what should be one of the league’s most improved offenses, and he may already have a matchup scheduled for next season against his previous squad.
Around The NFL released an article from NFL.com that provided insight into Swift facing the Detroit Lions for the first time this season, and he stated that the Lions are “another team.” That’s how I’ll look at it. I’m not going to say too much about it. “It’s just another team.”
This was not the fiery response that the reporter plainly desired, since Swift certainly paid heed during his PR training and chose the highest of all high roads.
Swift may have said the right thing, but now that he gets to face the Lions twice a year after being traded to the Eagles last offseason, the revenge game is still active.
As a competitor, it’s difficult to believe Swift isn’t enthusiastic about the opportunity to take on the Lions again.
Swift struggled to stay healthy throughout his three seasons in Detroit, but he finished last season with 1,049 yards and five touchdowns for the Eagles.
There’s a lot to be thrilled about with this Bears offense, even if Swift seems as if a few of games per year aren’t a huge issue.
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DJ Moore sees the escalating cost of wide receivers as both a blessing and a problem.
Ryan Poles, the general manager of the Chicago Bears, has had a busy offseason. He rebuilt the offense, bringing in new faces with greater talent. The club is now capable of moving the ball and scoring points.
Wide receiver is one of the areas of the offense that has seen significant improvement. Except for DJ Moore, the unit struggled to catch the ball. Moore had a catch rate of 70.6% in 2023. The remainder of the receivers accounted for 50.2 percent.
With the price of wide receivers in the NFL skyrocketing, the Chicago Bears have reached an agreement with DJ Moore. However, the moment has come for the team to step up and pay him.
The Poles brought in Keenan Allen, a six-time Pro Bowl wide receiver. Allen adds 10,530 receiving yards and 59 touchdowns to help not only the wide outs, but also rookie quarterback Caleb Williams’ growth. He and Moore provide the Bears with an excellent combo for Williams to target.
Poles was not finished there, though. He selected Rome Odunze, another wide receiver, with the ninth overall pick in the draft. That gave the Bears an outstanding trio, one of the best in the NFL. If quick second-year guy Tyler Scott steps up, the Chicago Bears will have the best wide receiver room in the NFL.
While the Bears boast a solid 1-2-3 punch, Moore is the group’s leader. Allen is 32 years old. While he continues to play well, his playing days are behind him rather than ahead of him. He is in the final year of his contract, which has a $23 million salary cap charge.
Allen had already considered retirement before the Los Angeles Rams sent him to Chicago. Extending him beyond 2024 may be unlikely.
While Odunze has a promising future, he is on the opposite end of the spectrum. He has many years ahead of him if he remains healthy. He needs some time to develop into the player that many believe he has the potential to be.
That leaves Moore as the leader. At 27, he is still in his peak. He is an excellent route runner and athletic receiver. In addition, he is an exceptional professional. The younger players on the squad only need to witness how he practices on and off the field to know he’s ready to make big plays.
Moore’s contract is a bargain for the Chicago bears.
Moore’s salary cap hit for the season is $16.065 million. His cap hit for 2025 remains the same. That is a tremendous bargain for the Bears. Recently, several wide receivers were signed. Moore goes further down the list of the league’s highest-paid receivers with each new deal.
This summer, the Detroit Lions signed Amon-Ra St. Brown to a four-year contract worth $120.010 million. The Houston Texans signed Nico Collins to a three-year, $72.75 million deal. Following that, the Miami Dolphins signed Jaylen Waddle to a three-year deal worth $84.75 million.
Several more receivers are due for new contracts. Deebo Samuel, a San Francisco 49ers receiver, can opt out of his contract following the season. Brandon Aiyuk, his teammate, is also in line for a significant contract extension. The Cincinnati Bengals’ Ja’Marr Chase, Dallas Cowboys’ CeeDee Lamb, and Minnesota Vikings’ Justin Jefferson are also due for extensions.
Moore currently ranks 15th in the league for wide receiver salaries. In 2023, despite placing 13th in receptions, he was sixth in receiving yards (1,364). He did so despite Justin Fields’ struggles as a quarterback. In reality, Moore’s best season came in 2023. He set career highs for yards, touchdowns (8), yards per game (80.2), and catch %.
Moore’s contract is a tremendous value for the Bears, but it may also be a bad thing. The longer Chicago waits, the more Moore’s next contract will cost. If the other five who are looking for a new deal sign, the contract numbers will increase. The sooner the Bears sign Moore, the better the agreement will be for the organization.
We saw how early signings benefited the Chicago Bears. Last year, they re-signed tight end Cole Kmet. He presently holds the seventh-highest contract among tight ends. Last season, he was seventh in receiving yards and fifth in touchdowns. With greater quarterback play and an improved offensive system, his value will only rise.
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