Since Matt Nagy has arrived in Chicago, there has been a reoccurring theme with new rookies, particularly the rookie receivers.
At the beginning of the year, Anthony Miller had his time and role significantly reduced, simply because he was a rookie. Miller could’ve elevated the offense but instead he was left sitting on the side of the field. The most famous victims of this rule would be Riley Ridley and Javon Wims, as they both sat out for the majority of their seasons when they could’ve been helping the team win games.
The past looks like it’s going to become the present again as the Bears drafted Darnell Mooney, another receiver in this year’s draft. Mooney is a guy out of Tulane whose calling card would be his blazing speed. Mooney’s catch radius and route tree would be his most underrated aspects of his game; I would go as far as to saying that he has a good route tree in comparison to the other rookie receivers, as most rookie receivers lack the full route tree.
Mooney is the first person in awhile that’s deserving of a role in the offense coming out of the draft. Right off the bat, Mooney could be a deep threat in the league, as he ran a 4.38 40-yard-dash during the combine.
There’s much more to his game than the deep ball though. Mooney could produce in the backfield off bubble screens and reverse sweep plays that Nagy loves to run.
Not only that, but Chicago could make room for another player on the roster if they cut Ted Ginn. In replace for Ginn, the Bears could afford to bring in Mooney. When you think of it, what exactly does Ted Ginn bring to the table that Mooney doesn’t?
Mooney is a great candidate for the rookie WR handcuffs to be taken off, as he could ease the restrain on the 40-man roster by taking the role that was meant for Ted Ginn while also having his own niche in the offense.
Photo credit: The Draft Wire
