Darnell Mooney or Chase Claypool — who will have the better 2023 season?

With DJ Moore now on the Bears’ roster, the financial situation surrounding the Bears’ WR room gets a bit more complicated than it was months ago.

When Ryan Poles originally traded for Chase Claypool, the financial impact of the trade was clear — if Chase performed as an “X” receiver, both he and Darnell Mooney (typically a “Z” receiver that can also play in the slot) would receive extensions that would keep a talented pair of 25-year-old WRs in Chicago for years.

With DJ Moore, that may have changed. Moore currently carries an average cap hit that varies from $16-20 million dollars between 2023-2025, but he has no more guaranteed money left in his deal after 2023 and will likely seek an extension of his own. Given his price, it’s likely Ryan Poles can only afford to extend one of his young receivers — who will it be?

Will it be the 6’4, 220lb, 4.4s speedster that Ryan Poles just spent pick #32 to trade for? Or will it be the versatile receiver that plays roles Claypool can’t and happens to be the QB’s best friend off the field?

I dive into each player’s film to talk through this and the impact of Bears’ new rookie Tyler Scott in my latest video — check it out here!

I tried out a new format in this video, so I’d love your feedback on whether it works as well as I hope it does!