Chicago Bears: Analyzing free agency moves made so far
The Bears sign Cordarrelle Patterson
I really like this pickup. Cordarrelle Patterson is an all-purpose football player. He played wide receiver, kick returner and running back in New England last year. He’ll be a dream for Nagy. As a kick returner, he returned a kickoff for a touchdown and, ironically, did it against the Bears. In his career, he has six kickoff return touchdowns, seven rushing touchdowns, and 10 receiving touchdowns.
Patterson will thrive in this offense. He is pretty good at a lot of things, but isn’t great at anything, so he might not fit with a lot of teams. With the Patriots, however, he fit in well and will fit in well in Chicago. He is a speed burner who helps extend the defense. He is a threat to go deep, but can also run from the backfield. He adds value in a number of areas and provides a lot of support.
Patterson averaged 28.8 yards per kick return. That ranked him third in the NFL. The Chicago Bears struggled in that area, averaging 19.1 yards per return, ranking last in that area. Having big returns will help the offense get better field position, thus giving the unit a shorter field to work with.
Next. 2019 NFL Mock Draft: Post-Combine two-round projection. dark
Patterson spent his first four seasons with the Minnesota Vikings, who drafted him in the first round of the 2013 NFL Draft. He was a Pro Bowler and an All-Pro. He then played a year with the Oakland Raiders and last year helped the Patriots win the Super Bowl. Now the Bears hope he can do the same for them after signing a two-year, $10 million deal.