Who Will The Chicago Bears Sign To Replace Brandon Marshall?

Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

With the trade of

, the Chicago Bears have a big need at wide receiver, in a passing league. They have to go out and look for someone to be as productive as Marshall. One of those options,

, decided to go back to his team. Who else in free agency, and which draft prospect, can the Bears tap to replace

?

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It’s been a few days now, and we’ve been able to digest the Chicago Bears’ trade of wide receiver Brandon Marshall. Like it or hate it, it is a done deal (well, pending a physical).

Now we have to look at what the Bears will do to replace Marshall.

In two of the three seasons Marshall was in Chicago, he had over 1,000 yards receiving. In fact, he had 279 receptions for 3,524 yards and 31 touchdowns. And he missed three games.

Whoever comes in will have some big shoes to fill.

Many see Alshon Jeffery as the man replacing Marshall as the number one receiver. Yes, he will be that this season, but he is in the last year of his contract. He will have to step up and show he can be a number one without Marshall, his mentor. It will then be his turn to negotiate a new contract with the new regime. The Bears could always franchise tag him, but when was the last time they did that?

One option to go after was Randall Cobb. That option went up in smoke when he re-signed with the Green Bay Packers on a four-year, $40 million deal.

Ten million per year for a receiver that isn’t on Marshall’s level? The Bears have just over $32 million in cap space to spend, and they have many holes. If Cobb’s deal becomes the going rate for receivers, the Bears may spend A THIRD of that cap money on ONE player, when they had a great one to begin with?

In any case, let’s look at which free agency and draft choices the Bears could go after to find a capable replacement.

Next: Jeremy Maclin