Cubs News: DJ Moore: "Going to have some fun, going to get some wins" |
CHICAGO - Part of the blockbuster trade for the Bears in trading away the No. 1 overall pick was the acquisition of star receiver DJ Moore. He has now arrived in Chicago and is ready to make an impact on the team.
“In this business, you always got to think about that 1% and that 1% happened last Friday,” Moore said. “So, it was like ‘Alright cool. That’s the business side of things. Going to Chicago. Going to have some fun, going to get some wins.’” Moore is still getting to know the team, although he has been in communication with quarterback Justin Fields and fellow receivers Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool, who was also acquired in a trade. Despite the inconsistency at quarterback for the Panthers, Moore has been able to consistently put up solid numbers. He had 888 receiving yards last season, but each of the three years prior he had over 1,000 receiving yards. Getting a receiver like Moore should surely help Fields elevate his game and improve even more going into his third season. Fields’ completion percentage improved from his first to second year and the amount of touchdown passes more than doubled. Further, his rushing projection was one of the best in the NFL among all players and the most among quarterbacks. The problem is his passing yards. While it too increased from the first to the second season, his career total in passing yards is 4,112 yards - some quarterbacks can do that in one season. But this is a win-win for the Bears and Moore - a good receiver for Fields and a franchise quarterback for Moore. “I’m real excited. I’ve heard a lot of good things (about Justin Fields). We’ve been talking it up quite a bit the past few days, so, looking forward to getting out on the field,” Moore said. “I’ve come to a better situation with a stable quarterback. Sky’s the limit from there, and consistency.” Having Moore, Mooney and Claypool finally gives Chicago a solid group of receivers. Unfortunately, Mooney’s season was cut short with injury and Claypool wasn’t always available either. But Moore hasn’t missed a game since 2020, showing that not only can he be relied on to make plays, but also to be available for his team. This is also incredibly promising for the future of the Bears’ receivers. “They’ve been cool. I met both (Mooney and Claypool) this week,” Moore said. “It’s been nothing but fun; we had good laughs this whole time. So, I’m just looking forward to getting out on the field with everybody.” The Bears still have a lot more moves they can make as the offseason is just beginning and the NFL Draft is still ahead. Chicago now has a total of nine draft picks - No. 9 overall, two second-round picks, a third-round pick, two fourth-round picks, two fifth-round picks and two seventh-round picks. This provides ample opportunity to get some offensive linemen, additional players on defense, potentially an additional running back and a talented, young wide receiver to couple the receiving core already present.
