Chicago Bears: 3 takeaways from first unofficial depth chart of 2019
By Ryan Sikes
Anthony Miller needs to be the number two wide receiver.
The Chicago Bears addressed the wide receiver position last offseason when they signed Allen Robinson and Taylor Gabriel in free agency and drafted Anthony Miller in the second round. Miller had himself a solid rookie season despite playing most of it with a dislocated shoulder.
Still, he hauled in 33 receptions for 423 yards and 7 touchdowns. He was everything the Bears could have wanted him to be coming out of Memphis. He stated that the NFL hasn’t seen the best of him referring to his injury-plagued rookie season.
Miller had surgery and is well ahead of schedule so there’s no reason he should be listed with the second-string wide receivers. Don’t get me wrong (and yes I know it’s just a preseason game), but Miller is the number two wide receiver on this team; Thursday’s game and in the regular season.
Taylor Gabriel was very good for the Bears in his first season with the team, hauling in 67 catches for 688 yards but he found the endzone just twice. He did put up the best catch rate of his career in 2018 at 72.0 percent but had 10.3 yards-per-receptions to Miller’s 12.8.
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It doesn’t seem like a lot but it can be the difference between converting a 3rd and long versus having to punt the ball away. I assume the Bears are just being cautious with Miller to start the preseason but he should be with the first-team offense when Opening Night arrives against the Packers.