The Pittsburgh Steelers have traded wide receiver Chase Claypool for the Chicago Bears for a 2023 second-round pick.
Claypool has recorded 32 receptions for 311 yards and one touchdown in this season. The 6-foot-4 wideout burst onto the scene as a rookie in 2010, catching 62 passes for 873 yards and nine touchdowns.
However, Claypool has yet to top those numbers since.
The move became imminent after he slipped behind Diontae Johnson and rookie George Pickens on the Steelers depth chart.
The Steelers apparently got solid value for Claypool, who was a second-round pick in 2020.
Chase Claypool Trade Grades for Steelers and Bears
- Steelers: A-
- Bears: B
Steelers A-
This trade has to be a win for Pittsburgh, which will benefit from the extra draft capital without hurting a position of strength (WR).
The Steelers have a ton of talent at the skill positions on offense but it hasn’t translated to wins on the football field.
That’s because Pittsburgh has too many holes at key positions on the offensive and defensive line.
The Steelers can use their picks in 2023 to bolster the offensive line in hopes of sparking a run game that has ranked near the bottom of the NFL in recent seasons.
Bears B
Chicago has been active at the trade deadline but bringing in Claypool was the right move.
Did the Bears overpay in this deal? Possibly, but this is simply a deal that Chicago had to make.
The Bears are too thin at wide receiver to truly evaluate Justin Fields.
Claypool gives Fields a big target that can stretch the field and work routes in the short-to-intermediate range.
At just 24 years old, the former Steelers’ wide receiver still has a lot of potential. He has proven that he can play at a high level but has never been given the opportunity to be a true No. 1 wide receiver.
Whether or not he will be able to do that in Chicago with Fields at quarterback remains a big question mark.
Steelers Add Another Player In Deal With Commanders
Pittsburgh wasn’t done wheeling and dealing on the day.
The Steelers also traded for enigmatic cornerback William Jackson II in a deal that involved just a late-pick swap.
The move is a low-risk addition for the Steelers, who are hoping that reuniting Jackson with defensive coordinator Teryl Austin will bring the best out of the embattled cornerback.
Austin coached Jackson in 2018 when he was the defensive coordinator of the Cincinnati Bengals.
Chicago Remains Active As Trade Deadline Nears
This marks Chicago’s second deal at the NFL trade deadline.
General manager Ryan Poles has been actively trying to reshape Chicago’s roster in recent weeks, shipping off veteran pass-rusher Robert Quinn to the Eagles for a fourth-round pick.
The Bears traded linebacker Roquan Smith to the Baltimore Ravens for a second-round pick on Monday.
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