The 2024 NFL offseason saw the Chicago Bears miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive year, highlighting the need to shake things up this spring.
Fast forward to the middle of May, and the Bears' front office has done a terrific job of ushering in a new era. The Ben Johnson era is officially in effect in the Windy City, and Chicago has since followed up its first-year head coach's hiring with solid performances in free agency and at the 2025 NFL draft.
As productive as the offseason has been so far, there's always room for improvement. The Bears can afford to further upgrade certain roster areas, including the wide receiver room, if they want to give quarterback Caleb Williams his best shot at success next season.
Bears Should Sign WR Jamison Crowder to Help Revive Career
It's safe to say that the order of the Bears' WR depth chart is malleable. Beyond D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze, Chicago's wideouts can be arranged in several ways, as the likes of Olamide Zaccheaus, Devin Duvernay, Tyler Scott, and Samori Toure don't stand out too much from one another.
With that in mind, the Bears would have nothing to lose by adding veteran WR Jamison Crowder to the mix.
Crowder, 31, is a 10-year NFL veteran who was drafted 105th overall back in 2015. Although he's never been the best wideout in the league, the former Duke Blue Devil has still had a respectable career to the tune of 440 catches for 4,898 receiving yards and 31 touchdowns in 123 games with the Washington Commanders, Buffalo Bills, and New York Jets.
Crowder has come close to reaching the 1,000-yard mark twice in his career, registering 847 and 833 yards in 2016 and 2019, respectively. Unfortunately, injuries have prevented him from reaching similar heights in a long time, proven by his recording a 31-291-3 stat line in just 27 appearances since the start of the 2022 season.
Even if his best days are behind him, Crowder is still someone who can benefit the Bears' attack. The Monroe, NC native's decade of experience could be useful to help grow Chicago's younger WRs, and he still has enough juice left in the tank to operate as a WR5/6 when needed. After all, it was only two seasons ago when he had a 70.8 Pro Football Focus receiving grade.
Considering how Moore (966) and Odunze (734) are the only returning Bears WRs who had more than 100 receiving yards last season, taking a flyer on a veteran like Crowder makes sense. It won't even matter if he can't rediscover his groove because he'd likely be playing on a minimum contract, minimizing any potential risks.
The Bears' organized team activities (OTAs) will begin on Tuesday, May 20, giving them just under a week to decide if they want to give Crowder a chance to revive his career.