The Chicago Bears found themselves with the No. 1 overall pick at the end of the regular season but ended up shipping that selection away to Carolina for a treasure trove of assets. One of the key pieces that Chicago acquired while sending the No. 1 overall pick to the Panthers was veteran wide receiver D.J. Moore, who is now expected to be a critical piece within the Bears offense in 2023 and help further develop quarterback Justin Fields. And it sounds like Moore has hit the ground running and is already making his presence felt within the organization.
“D.J. Moore, obviously, being a teammate, he — man — he’s everything advertised and more,” Bears rookie receiver Tyler Scott told NBC Sports Chicago’s Under Center podcast of his new teammate’s route-running ability and what he’s learned from him thus far. “Like he plays with such a calmness to him. Just the control to him. And football players know, you know, kind of what that looks like. And he just kind of plays just under control. But it’s not necessarily like he’s playing slow or behind. It’s just, he just kind of plays like he knows what he’s doing. You can tell he’s experienced in what he does. … He’s just playing at a different level than everybody.”
During his tenure in Carolina, Moore had to deal with a turnstile at the quarterback position but was still able to produce. He’s posted 1,000-yard receiving campaigns in three of his five seasons in the league and is coming off a 2022 season where he recorded a career-high seven touchdowns. While Fields is still developing as a passer, he’s arguably the most promising quarterback Moore has played alongside in his career.
Similar to A.J. Brown helping Jalen Hurts in Philly or Stefon Diggs assisting in Josh Allen‘s development, there’s hope that Moore can have a similar impact on Fields. On top of Moore, the Bears added Chase Claypool at the trade deadline last year and were able to select Scott in the fourth round of the 2023 NFL Draft out of Cincinnati. Those newbies, along with Darnell Mooney, should help create a fascinating receiver corps that Fields can lean on.
As for Scott, he’ll look to carve out a role for himself in what is admittedly a crowded receiver room.
“I have a pretty heavy room as far as these guys that have been there, done that, you know, have a lot of talent,” Scott said. “But for me, you know, my mindset has always been, be so good that they have to put you in the game. No matter who’s around, you have to be so good that they have to put you out there. So, that’s been my mindset. As far as the ceiling, I don’t really have too much of a ceiling for myself. I just see myself being an impact and having a hand in the stirring pot of a team that’s going to compete in the playoffs and, ultimately, for a Super Bowl.”
During his final season at Cincinnati, Scott — who ran a 4.44-second 40-yard dash — caught 54 balls for 899 yards and nine touchdowns.
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Author: Tyler Sullivan
July 10, 2023 | 6:01 pm
