As Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields enters a pivotal season for himself and the franchise, there's ample consternation regarding the receiving options surrounding him.
New Chicago offensive coordinator Luke Getsy does not subscribe to that thinking. He's confident the Bears have receivers in place who can develop into standouts, and referenced perhaps the best wideout in the NFL as an example.Â
"Everybody wants Davante Adams," Getsy said Sunday, via NBC Sports Chicago. "Who wouldn't want Davante Adams, right? That's part of it. But Davante wasn't Davante until he became Davante. I think the system will enable some of these guys to play at their potential. And so, we'll see what we can do. We'll give them an opportunity to show them what they got."
Those slated to get top priority for said opportunities are Darnell Mooney, who's likely to be the team's No. 1 and has an established chemistry with Fields, free-agent signings Equanimeous St. Brown and Byron Pringle and third-round draft choice Velus Jones.
St. Brown previously played for the archrival Green Bay Packers, so former Pack QB coach Getsy is familiar with him.
"I thought 'EQ' had a tremendous year last year in his growth and his maturity from where he was to where he is now," Getsy said, via the Bears' team website. "I was really excited that we were able to snag him up because I think all his best football is ahead of him. He's one of those guys, you talk about a big body, a guy that can run, his toughness and all that stuff and everything that we're going to preach in this system, he's that expectation, he's that leader of that mindset."
Many a Bears fan was hopeful the club would stock up on offensive playmakers in the draft, but Jones, a 24-year-old out of Tennessee, was the only receiver added.
Thus far, Getsy's been particularly impressed by Jones' approach and mentality.
"He's all business," Getsy said. "He came in in a suit. He was ready to go. He takes great notes. Bought his own white board. He came in ready. He was focused. So I'm excited. He's somebody that's going to be all-in, focused on trying to figure everything out. It's a lot for all of those guys right now, but I loved the way he came in, his approach."
Fields' intangibles have also stood out for Getsy.
"I've been super impressed with him, I really have," Getsy said. "There's no one in the building that works harder than him. There's no one that cares more than him. We're off to a great start. He's really accepted this challenge. We're asking a lot of him to learn a lot of new things. He's been a pleasure to work with."
It's early in the process, obviously, and Getsy's optimism that the team's largely unproven wide receivers can play up to (and hopefully beyond) their potential offers some promise.
Still, Adams was a second-round pick who joined a WR stable that already boasted Pro Bowlers Jordy Nelson and Randall Cobb, and, above all else, an established ultra-talent at QB in Aaron Rodgers. It's a far different setting in Chicago.
The Bears' onus is supposedly building around Fields and providing him an environment to flourish. However, Mooney, entering his third season, is the most established wide receiver on the roster, with St. Brown and Pringle offering experience with high-scoring teams, but never having been substantial contributors (neither has had more than 50 catches in a season).
There's a lot of pressure on the shoulders of Fields and now too on "the system" to get his receivers ready to step into the biggest roles of their careers.
