The Bears are not signing Scotty Miller to shake up their wide receiver room, but they are adding exactly the kind of veteran speed and competition Ben Johnson has been looking for. This has been a need the Bears have needed to address all offseason, particularly since the departure of DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills.
Miller arrives in Chicago not expecting to top the roster, but rather he's here on a tryout basis. But Miller was a member of the Tom Brady-Tampa bay Super Bowl run, whether he was heavily utilized or not. That's experience the wide receiver room has been sorely lacking.
Ben Johnson already pointed to the trait that stands out
Head coach Ben Johnson was asked about this directly during a rookie training camp press conference where he referenced Miller's speed as an attribute that stands out. His familiarity with Antwaan Randle El, the Bears wide receivers coach, is a bonus. It means expectations would be immediately established within a recognizable environment.
"I talked to him a little bit. He's got a history with Coach Randall L. Randall L. was with him when he was a young buck there in Tampa, and so there is some shared experiences. I'm looking forward to seeing him run around and compete a little bit. From afar, I've been able to see the speed, the quickness, and certainly very intriguing." -Ben Johnson
The Bears aren't looking for a WR1 here. They're looking for a reliable pair of hands to serve as an WR3 with a penchant for getting open. Since the receiver room has been lacking both a WR3 and a veteran in the room, this move could achieve both goals at once.
All of that being said, through seven years of his career, Miller has only been targeted 167 times, and he's only caught 99 of them. This would mean that potentially, in the eighth year of his career, Caleb Williams would throw him his 100th reception. To put that into perspective, Rome Odunze, the presumptive WR1, has completed just two seasons and he's caught 98 passes on 191 targets.
If Miller’s speed still translates at this stage of his career, the Bears may have quietly found a veteran depth piece capable of filling multiple needs at once.
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