An increasingly anemic passing offence led Bears to buy high in Chase Claypool trade

Fans of the modern NFL know as well as any that the once-somniferous trade deadline has become a minor spectacle worth paying attention to.

Not unlike a sports-themed stock exchange, the November 1 deadline came and went with the proverbial bell at 4 p.m. ET signalling a conclusion to the day's trading — and when the dust settled, 12 players moved in a record 10 deals.

One of the dozen players dealt was imposing Canadian wide receiver Chase Claypool, formerly a rookie sensation with the Pittsburgh Steelers, who became the newest member of the Chicago Bears.

But the Steelers' compensation — a straight-up exchange for Chicago's 2023 second-round draft choice — represents a buy-high risk for the Bears that any shrewd stock broker would have likely balked at.

Although, by all accounts, the Steelers' top brass was happy with its young receiver, the return on investment was simply too good to pass up.

"It was about draft capital and value for us," said Steelers head coach Mike Tomlin. "The Bears' second-round pick is something we value. We're excited about what that brings us."

And for good reason.

The Bears are mired in relative NFC obscurity, perhaps generously achieving their pedestrian 3-5 record to this point, and likely to ensure the Steelers net a higher pick slot than No. 49 overall where Claypool was originally selected nearly three years ago.

Pittsburgh elected to cash out on its talented-but-idling 24-year-old playmaker, who has been limited to a whisper-quiet 311 yards on 32 receptions so far this season, while the team toils in the AFC North basement with a record of 2-6.

WATCH | Examining Chase Claypool's breakout rookie season:

Is Chase Claypool the most promising Canadian NFL player we've ever seen?

4 years ago

Duration 4:34

Joe Starkey of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazettte joins Jacqueline Doorey is discuss Claypool's unbelievable start to the season with the Steelers.

From Chicago's perspective, its current stable of receiving options is insipid and uninspiring. Head coach Matt Eberflus' anemic offence sits dead last in the NFL, with a diabolical 126.9 passing yards per game.

The franchise has so-far failed to equip its talented young quarterback, Justin Fields, with any semblance of a genuine supporting cast or passing-game weaponry. The hope is that Mapletron's lab-created physical attributes and untapped potential will help quell those concerns.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles alluded to a weak 2023 free agency class projected at wide receiver, in part, as a motivation to complete the deal.

"You have to do a little bit of forecasting down the road, and I just didn't feel comfortable with that."

In acquiring the Notre Dame alum, especially for the price in draft capital it cost Chicago, Poles made clear the addition is meant to aid in Fields' growth under centre.

"I am excited about [Claypool] … You can never have enough weapons and guys that help your quarterback gain confidence."

Beyond how 'Mapletron' fits, perhaps there was another incentive for Poles to complete the deal at the agreed-upon price.

According to several members of NFL media, Chicago's heated in-division rival, the Green Bay Packers, also tabled a second-round draft choice to Pittsburgh, with the Bears ultimately securing the player on the strength of a purportedly greater probability at a higher pick.

New team, new opportunity

Claypool now ventures to the midwest, with a chance to rediscover his sparkling rookie form and emerge as the primary receiving option that his talent level undeniably dictates he can become.

With another year on his rookie contract following this season, he'll look to build a fruitful partnership with Fields in the coming months.

The Abbotsford Senior Secondary School graduate is arguably better positioned to earn a lucrative extension working in tandem with Fields, a gifted athlete with superior arm talent to what Claypool leaves behind in Pittsburgh.

"I feel like I didn't have the full opportunity to show what I could do this year," Claypool said during his Bears introduction, "but I feel like I've been able to show that in the past.

"I'm excited to be able to gain that trust with Justin too, where he knows if he needs a play he can come to me … a dynamic playmaker is the guy that the Bears are getting."

Claypool's physical composition is tantamount to some of the NFL's rarest athletes, and the Bears will bank heavily on his potential — acquiring him for what they believe he will become rather than what he is today.

But a harrowing lack of offensive growth and inefficient roster building necessitated Chicago to overpay for a vestige of hope at the receiver position.