Chicago Bears (Photo by Justin Edmonds/Getty Images)
One of the biggest gripes when it came to the Chicago Bears 2022 NFL Draft class was and is still the lack of wide receiver depth added.
General manager Ryan Poles simply stuck to his strategy and went with the best player on his board throughout the entire draft, and that resulted in just one receiver drafted.
Of course, former Tennessee wideout Velus Jones Jr. is an intriguing player and could bring some serious juice to this group. He has the potential to be a big weapon for the Bears. Still, they could use some depth as Equanimeous St. Brown is their current no. 4 guy.
One free agent that’s still somehow available is veteran Emmanuel Sanders, who spent the past few years bouncing around and most recently played for the Buffalo Bills.
The Chicago Bears have an interesting connection to free agent wide receiver Emmanuel Sanders.
Before playing for Buffalo last year, Sanders spent time with the New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers. Prior to those shorter stints, Sanders was with the Denver Broncos from 2014-2018 before he was traded during the 2019 season.
While he was in Denver, Sanders’ wide receiver coach was Tyke Tolbert, who was recently hired in Chicago for the same position. Tolbert comes in with a lot of experience, having worked with guys like Sanders, Demaryius Thomas, Steve Smith Sr. and Anquan Boldin.
Having had a relationship with Sanders for a few seasons, Tolbert could be a sneaky reason why the Bears end up going the route of the 35-year-old veteran. He is one of a few names available In the free agent pool still, and would be a great addition to this wide receiver room that features a lot of younger guys.
Sanders still offers plenty of juice after the catch and is a fantastic route runner even at this age. Last year, he proved he still had much left in the tank when he caught 42 passes for 626 yards and four touchdowns.
Quarterback Justin Fields should take a step in his second year, regardless, if he is as good as we think he can be. But, adding more talent around him should still be a priority for Poles. Even just one signing like Sanders could make all the difference in the weaponry he has at his disposal.
Look for the Bears to make a move for a veteran free agent here in the coming days or weeks, and do not be surprised if it’s Sanders who reunites with his old wide receiver coach in Tolbert.