All throughout the last few weeks one of the big potential movers was third year wide receiver Chase Claypool, who had been catching more strays than passes in Pittsburgh. The only question was where the high upside jump-ball specialist was going to go? Tennessee and Green Bay were the two teams in on the former Notre Dame prospect for the past few weeks.
That was until a new challenger emerged in the form of the rebuilding Chicago Bears. Chicago was desperate for another pass catcher to help out maybe the weakest receiver room in the league outside of Darnell Mooney, and fresh off trading contract stalemate Roquan Smith to the Ravens for a second round pick. Here’s how each team fared in the trade.
| Bears receive | Steelers receive |
| Chase Claypool | 2023 2nd round pick |
Chicago Bears grade: B
Chase Claypool has had a rocky few years so far in the NFL. He burst onto the scene with impressive games against the Giants and Eagles (including a four-touchdown day in the latter), but he’s also had his down spells too. This season is no different for a guy who some people, including my fellow Stiff Upper Lip co-host Ed, had a first-round grade on. Through eight games this year he’s had 50 targets and 32 catches, 311 yards and a touchdown. That’s rather limited production for a large share of the targets on the team. This could be down to scheming, but Claypool has to take some of the blame too.
Hopefully a change of scenery will fix his issues. That’s what Chicago is banking on, because when Chase is at his best, he is a very good target to have at your disposal. Add onto that the fact he’s still on his rookie deal through 2023 and this could pop big. There are concerns about his character after a few mindless moments, but if he can bear down and buckle up, this could be a guy who has Allen Robinson style reliability for Chicago. The biggest markdown for me here though is, are the Bears rebuilding or reloading? Their other trades this year suggested rebuilding, but this one felt more like a reloading move. It’s one to watch for sure.
Pittsburgh Steelers grade: A-
Frankly, when a team is 2-6 on the year and currently in a spin, sometimes it’s better to have a hard reset and get some capital. The Steelers drafted Claypool No. 49 overall back in 2020. The pick they receive from the 3-5 Bears is currently projected to be the No. 43 overall pick in 2023. That is good business from the new GM Omar Khan, who gets a high second projected pick for a guy who had been “deemed a distraction in locker room” according to Steelers beat writer Alex Kozora.
Add to that the fantastic start that rookie second round pick George Pickens has made, and it makes perfect sense. There are other issues for them to fix either before the end of the season or this coming offseason, but getting capital at this stage is huge for Omar Khan and assistant GM Andy Weidl (who directly played a role in the building of this currently unbeaten Eagles roster).
