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Chicago Bears: Marquess Wilson deserves another year

By Kevin Parvizi

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After signing Eddie Royal and drafting Kevin White in the first round of the 2015 NFL Draft as the second receiver off of the board, the Chicago Bears have given Jay Cutler just about everything he could have wanted at the wide receiver position. Even with Brandon Marshall now a member of the New York Jets, Cutler has quite the cache of pass-catching weapons, because I haven’t even mentioned Martellus Bennett, Matt Forte, and No. 1 receiver Alshon Jeffery.

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I also haven’t mentioned third-year pro Marquess Wilson, who is one of the most intriguing players on the Bears roster given the sleeper hype he received when coming into the league as a seventh-round pick. Phil Emery and Marc Trestman never really got to use him, as he had just 17 receptions last season after missing most of the season with a broken collarbone. He never got the benefit of a real second offseason, so that also hurt his ability to make an impact in a dysfunctional Bears offense.

Wilson is one of those high-upside types, as he runs a 4.51 forty, had the second-best three-cone drill among draft-eligible WRs in 2013, and stands at 6’4″. His stock fell due to issues that transpired at Washington State, because he clearly had NFL talent and upside after being one of the best receivers in college football during his time with the Cougars.

The problem for Wilson is that he’s entering his third season in the league as a holdover from a previous regime, which is why ESPN Chicago’s Jeff Dickerson writes that Wilson “needs a strong preseason” in order to guarantee a spot on the 53-man roster, and that’s a perfectly reasonable statement to make. Since the Bears new coaching staff and front office owes a seventh-round project nothing, they have every reason to cut ties with the player if he doesn’t impress them in August.

However, I’m probably higher on Wilson than some, and I think he should only be released if he plays poorly in the preseason. If you think about it, Wilson still needs time to develop, especially since a severe injury made his sophomore season a lost cause. He’ll also have to adjust to a new offense under ace coordinator Adam Gase, who will likely want to work with Wilson’s tools, as it’s rare to find a player with that combination of height and quickness (again, he had a really good three-cone time).

Marquess Wilson deserves another season to develop on the Bears roster, especially since he’s probably worth keeping around as a No. 4 receiver. If you look at the Bears depth chart, it’s hard to see him being worse than Marc Mariani, Josh Bellamy, and rookies Cameron Meredith and Levi Norwood, among others.

Basically, it’s hard to see how Wilson doesn’t fit this team, because he has more upside than the other receivers who might be on the bubble and is the better player now. He showed plenty of toughness last season, as he also suffered an injury late in the season after already recovering from that broken collarbone. The Chicago Bears new staff should be able to find some sort of a role for him, and he’s also just 22 with plenty of ability left to mold.

Dec 21, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears wide receiver Marquess Wilson (10) during the first half at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports

In all honesty, I don’t even see how Wilson is on the roster bubble, because he hasn’t been given an extended opportunity at a significant role. The 2015 season should be his first shot at that under a new regime, and it’s at least a year too early to start talking about him as a bubble candidate.

He may be a former late-rounder, but he has the ability of someone who was drafted late on the second day or early on the third day of the draft. Should anything happen to the Bears talented wide receiver trio, Wilson has the ability to step right in, and I’d rather have him as an injury replacement than the other guys currently on the roster.

Wilson might not have been ideal as a No. 3 receiver behind only Jeffery and Royal, but with White in the mix as the No. 2 guy right off the bat, Wilson fits in nicely as a No. 4 receiver.

I don’t understand why Fox would be so adverse to keeping a 22-year-old receiver with upside on the roster, and I haven’t heard any sort of maturity issues to this point in his NFL career either.

Next: Pernell McPhee Player Profile

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