NEWSLETTER
Talks regarding the Chicago Bears’ top wide receiver are at a stalemate, as Allen Robinson II was given the Franchise Tag, but has yet to sign the tender. No new negotiations are underway on a long-term deal, and free agency for wide receivers is proceeding slowly.
So it’s a different Bears wide receiver getting attention:
Bears are having trade discussions with other teams regarding WR Anthony Miller, per sources. Miller is entering the final year of his rookie deal, and is a productive and talented slot receiver likely to be dealt.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) March 16, 2021
ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reports the Bears are talking with teams about trading receiver Anthony Miller. The Bears’ second-round pick in 2018 is entering the final year of his rookie contract, and maybe teams would be looking for a relatively inexpensive one-year shot. And while Miller has talent and a unique prospect pedigree, inconsistency in his game have brought us to a point where Schefter believes the Memphis product is “likely to be dealt.”
Miller, 26, was the 51st overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, with Ryan Pace having traded up from 105 that year to get him (at the price of a 2019 second rounder). Miller has 134 catches, 1,564 receiving yards, and 11 touchdowns in 47 career games, but the last time we saw Miller on the field, it was a short-lived cameo, as he was ejected after throwing hands at Saints cornerback Chauncey Gardner-Johnson during the Bears’ playoff loss. That it came mere months after Javon Wims suffered the same fate for the same course of action is equal parts embarrassing and annoying – especially since Bears players were warned before both games about Gardner-Johnson’s in-game shenanigans. It’s possible that incident might’ve been the straw that broke the camel’s back for the talented but mistake-prone Miller.
As for possible trade compensation, I wouldn’t hold my breath expecting a big return. This crop of free agent receivers is deep and talented, as is this draft class. But I suppose it just takes one team in search of a flier on a 2017 All-American receiver to make something happen. Stay tuned…
