NEWSLETTER
If you had told me, a week ago, the Chicago Bears would have three free agent signings – including a running back (Mike Davis), a cornerback (Buster Skrine), and a wide receiver – in place by the end of the day, today, I wouldn’t have bought it. Not only was their salary cap space among the lowest in football not too long ago, they just didn’t seem like they were going to be this busy in free agency – even if their window of contention is clearly open right now.
But after a few key cuts and some restructured deals (thanks, Khalil Mack), the Bears have made good use of their additional space.
Here’s their latest deal, per ESPN’s Adam Schefter:
Former Patriots’ WR Cordarrelle Patterson intends to sign with the Chicago Bears for $5 million per year, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2019
Cordarrelle Patterson, 27, was drafted by the Vikings out of Tennessee back in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft, though I think it’s fair to say he never quite lived up to his first-round pedigree to some respect. Despite appearing in 16 games in all but one season (2018, 15 games), Patterson has never topped 500 receiving yards.
Not quite what you’d expect out of a first-round receiver, but I digress because that’s only part of the story. I’ll let Luis get into his background and skills more when we get to know Patterson tomorrow, but you should note that he’s also often used as a rusher and rushed 42 times for 228 yards last season – good for a 5.4 average yards/attempt. On top of that, Patterson is also a return specialist and tied the NFL record for longest play/longest kick return with a 109-yarder against the Packers.
Check it out:
That wasn’t his only long one, either.
Indeed, I should say he’s a two-time All-Pro returner (2013, 2016). He also scored a touchdown on a 95-yard kick return against the Bears last season.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dye9eoeKCEQ
In any case, knowing how Matt Nagy’s offense caters to versatile offensive pieces (think Tarik Cohen), you can see why Patterson could be a nice fit. His mere presence on the field could cause defensive headaches, and that’s just what Nagy likes (he’s always putting guys into motion and using out-of-place-players in unique spots to draw attention). Everything Patterson adds on returns, then, is just gravy.
And, sure, $5 million a year isn’t peanuts, but thanks to Mack’s restructured deal, the Bears still have plenty of space to maneuver this offseason and especially down the line.
I don’t know what else the Bears have planned this offseason, but they’ve already made a solid number of supplementary moves. We’ll have to wait and see if something truly game-changing (like Le’Veon Bell) goes down, but until then it’s hard not to like the start.
More on Patterson later this week.
UPDATE: The terms have come out, it’s going to be two years at $5M/year for Patterson:
It will be a two-year deal for Cordarrelle Patterson in Chicago, per source. https://t.co/IlEz0IucUi
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 12, 2019
