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Brad Spielberger of Pro Football Focus Thought it was a “home run” trade for the Bears and Poles.
We know Justin Fields can hook deep bombs, and we know he can take off with his legs once the pocket breaks. But to take his game to the next level, he needs to become a consistent intermediate passer. Enter DJ Moore.
Of the 32 quarterbacks with at least 50 intermediate pass attempts (passes thrown 10-19 yards downfield) in 2022, Fields led the way with a 66.7% completion rate and ranked 13th in accuracy percentage by PFF. However, he didn’t hit there often, partly because of his pass-catchers.
From 2019 to 2022, DJ Moore saw 172 interception targets, second most in the NFL. While Fields still has room to grow as a passer, it’s not like Moore has worked much at quarterback in that span. The timing is also perfect, as Moore is just 25 years old and signed a new deal last offseason, having inherited a three-year, $52.265 million contract in Chicago.
In addition to getting the No. 1 pick at a good value for their young quarterback, the Bears land two first-round and two second-round picks that could be used to overhaul the rest of their roster, especially in the trenches where help is sorely needed on both sides of the ball.
The 2024 first-round pick out of Carolina could fall back into the top 10, given the state of the Panthers’ current roster and the volatility that comes with playing a new quarterback.
Overall, this is the house run by general manager Ryan Boles.
