Chase Claypool expresses excitement for upcoming Bears season
In a bold move at the NFL trade deadline, Chicago Bears' general manager Ryan Poles traded a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool. However, Claypool's season with the Bears was disappointing as he only caught 14 passes for 140 yards and did not score a touchdown. Compounding the situation, the second-round pick turned out to be the 32nd overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, practically a first-round pick.
Despite the lackluster performance, quarterback Justin Fields has become the subject of trade rumors this offseason, with speculation surrounding what the Bears should do with the No. 1 overall pick. However, many have come to Fields' defense, including Claypool.
Speaking to the Daily Mirror, Claypool praised Fields' ability to make plays happen and expressed his excitement for the next season. "Last season might not have gone our way wins-loss wise, but if you look at the games you can see how close we were and start to understand we could have been a 10- or 11- win team - and we're young," Claypool said. "We're going to grow, utilize our cap space, utilize the youth on our team and have a really exciting year."
The Bears currently have more cap space than any other NFL team, making them likely to be big spenders in free agency and boost their roster in various areas. Poles has defended the Claypool trade, citing the learning curve and injuries that affected the wide receiver's performance last season.
Meanwhile, Bears offensive coordinator Luke Getsy is optimistic about Claypool's role in the team's offense next year. "I see him getting a lot of opportunities," Getsy said. "He's someone that we need to play at a really high level, and he's capable of that. He's done that in the past. We've got to get the most out of him, and he wants that, too." With Claypool now more familiar with the Bears' playbook and system, Getsy believes the team can take off in the upcoming season.
| POLL | ||
11 MARS | 140 ANSWERS Chase Claypool expresses excitement for upcoming Bears season Do you expect Chase Claypool to start in 2023? | ||
| Yes | 113 | 80.7 % |
| No | 27 | 19.3 % |
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