The Chicago Bears agreed to a two-year deal with offensive weapon Cordarrelle Patterson on Tuesday, and while the transaction may not pack the punch that signing Le’Veon Bell or trading for Odell Beckham, Jr. would have, it still is a significant move for the Bears moving forward.
Chicago will pay Patterson $5 million per season to essentially become their discounted version of Tyreek Hill. No, Patterson doesn’t match Hill from a physical or straight-line speed standpoint, but he brings the same multi-faceted skill set to both the offense and special teams.
The Bears thought Taylor Gabriel would be that player last season, and while Gabriel proved to be a good signing and an effective receiver in Matt Nagy’s offense, he didn’t look nearly as explosive as Chicago had hoped. And that’s where Patterson comes in.
Patterson won’t take wide receiver reps away from Gabriel or any of the other primary pass-catchers (Allen Robinson, Anthony Miller). But he will see the field. A lot. And whether it’s as a running back, fourth receiver or some other unique and not-yet-named position, he’s going to touch the ball.
Just look at how he was used last season in New England to get a feel for how Nagy will likely play him in 2019. He had 21 catches, 42 carries, 475 total yards and four touchdowns.
He’ll pay massive dividends on special teams where the Bears haven’t had a return man with his field-flipping ability since the great Devin Hester. He totaled 663 yards and one touchdown on kickoff returns in 2018, a remarkable number considering how many kicks result in touchbacks.
Patterson’s contract is extremely team-friendly and his role on offense will be worth every penny he’s getting paid. He’s still only 27 years old and in the prime of his career. This was a smart, calculated and impactful move by GM Ryan Pace, even if it didn’t move the needle in mainstream media.
GRADE: B+
