The Chicago Bears shook up their roster with a trade early in the offseason, sending veteran wide receiver DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills.
The move signaled a shift for the team’s wide receiver corps, which will now lean even more on Luther Burden III and Rome Odunze on the perimeter. Chicago also signed Kalif Raymond in free agency.
For the Bills, it is an attempt to provide Josh Allen with a bona fide WR1.
Bears’ DJ More Trade Draws Strong Feedback
Bears Got Good Value in DJ Moore Trade
The Bears acquired Moore in a package along with what became the No. 1 overall pick they used on Caleb Williams in the 2024 NFL Draft, all for the top pick in 2023. They flipped him to the Bills, along with a fifth-round pick, for a second-round selection.
Some around the league lamented the cost from the Bills’ perspective.
“D.J. Moore was gonna get cut, and they gave up a second-round pick to get him,” an anonymous executive said, per The Athletic’s Mike Sando on April 2. “They gave up a second-round pick and $40 million (in guarantees). What is going on?”
Sando said an agent cited the Bills’ difficulty in attracting free agents, and previous coaching staffs’ complaints about the issue, specifically at wide receiver.
Moore also had some of his best production under current Bills head coach Joe Brady.
That was five seasons ago, though, and another unnamed executive noted to Sando that Moore has “two years of regression” with the Bears. Moore is coming off his least productive season as a pro, with 682 yards on 50 receptions, though his 6 touchdowns tied for the team lead.
“He is a non-traditional receiver that wins with size and yards after the catch,” the second executive said, per Sando. “I still feel they needed someone that could win down the field. Moore can do that — he did it to beat Green Bay. But I feel like his strength is on the underneath catch-and-run stuff, which they already have with (Khalil) Shakir.”
Bears Need Luther Burden III & Rome Odunze to Step Up
A third executive believed that Moore’s skill set being similar to others in the Bills’ passing game was intentional to benefit Allen, the 2024 MVP.
Moore and Williams never clicked as a combo the way the Bears hoped.
They did connect on some of the biggest plays the Bears have had in years, though, so the decision is not without risks. If nothing else, the Bears need Burden and Odunze to be durable like Moore was for them, appearing in every game even while moonlighting at a running back.
Both youngsters missed time last season, but will have a lot more on their plates in terms of expectations and attention from opposing defenses.