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In 2014, Brandon Marshall wore out his welcome with the Chicago Bears. When Ryan Pace was named general manager in January, he made determinations as to what personnel he wanted on his roster in 2015. His first major move was to trade Marshall to the New York Jets.
Pace made the decision that Marshall, at 31 years of age and coming off a year of nagging injuries, was not going to be worth the potential headaches in 2015. With Marshall gone, Pace fortified the wide receiver position by drafting Kevin White, and signing Eddie Royal.
Royal has been a solid pro over seven seasons for the Denver Broncos and San Diego Chargers. He’s not flashy or fast, but he’s a sure-handed target that any quarterback enjoys having on the field. Royal doesn’t have the ability to stretch the field, but that will be left to White and Alshon Jeffery. Royal will be a possession receiver for Jay Cutler and one he will look to frequently.
With Martellus Bennett’s attitude where it is, and Ryan Pace making it clear he wants team-first players, there is no guarantee that Bennett will still be on the roster in Week 1. If that happens (that is a big if), Royal’s importance will sky-rocket in the Bears’ offense.
Royal’s best season was his rookie year in Denver in 2008, that season he had career highs in receptions (91), targets (129), and yards (980). Royal’s quarterback that year was the aforementioned Cutler, and the two of them will hope to rekindle the phenomenal chemistry they had seven years prior.
While Bears fans were upset that Marshall was traded, dropping Marshall (especially considering his production last season) for White and Royal should upgrade the Bears receiving unit significantly. With Bennett potentially still on the roster and Matt Forte catching passes as well, Adam Gase has several different targets of differing abilities to utilize in the passing game.
Entering training camp, Royal needs to focus on working with Cutler and making sure they are on the same page like they were in their previous season together. Cutler’s favorite target had been Marshall and when he struggled last year, Bennett became Cutler’s go-to-guy. With Marshall out and Bennett a question mark, the “favorite target” spot is wide open for Cutler. While Jeffery will get a lot of looks, he won’t be the safety valve eight yards down the field that Royal could become. Cutler and Royal will work hard in July and August to regain that trust. If they do, Royal will fill the void left by the trade of Brandon Marshall and the Bears won’t look back.
Bill Zimmerman is a featured writer for RantSports. Follow him on Twitter or like him on Facebook.
