Taste Chicago

Cordarrelle Patterson may be exactly what Matt Nagy's offense was looking for originally appeared on nbcsportschicago.com

Matt Nagy and Cordarrelle Patterson were destined for one another. 

In one corner is Nagy, fresh off captaining a worst-to-first turnaround in Chicago that placed the Bears firmly into the discussion of NFC title contenders. In the other is Patterson, the NFL's ultimate jack-of-all-trades, fresh off a year spent north of the wall in Foxboro. When the Patriots made it clear that a reunion wasn't happening, a return to the NFC North made all the sense in the world. 

"Going into free agency when I got that call my agent told me the Chicago Bears were interested, it was a no-brainer for me," Patterson said after Wednesday's OTAs. "Like I said, the things Nagy has done over his career, last year what he did as a first year head coach, it was a no-brainer for me to come here."

Coming into the offseason, the Bears didn't need a wide receiver. You could argue about the ceiling of their current group, but you could also do a whole lot worse than Allen Robinson, Taylor Gabriel, and Anthony Miller. Throw in Riley Ridley and Javon Wims and you've got a lot of cooks in one kitchen. 

That depth, though, is exactly why bringing in Patterson makes so much sense. He's not a typical wide receiver - he set a career-high in receptions (52) back in 2016, and has only had 52 since. His value to the Bears was never as pure route-running, pass-catching receiver. 

"See I don't like being labeled," he said. "People try to say I'm a receiver, a running back, a kickoff returner. I can do anything on the field if I put my mind to it. I feel like when I get out there I'm unstoppable."

He's not wrong, either. Through the first six years of his career, Patterson has put up 2554 yards from scrimmage - 1872 through the air and 682 on the ground. He also has 5276 return yards and has taken six kickoffs to the house, including once at Soldier Field in 2018. 

The changes that Patterson brings to the Bears may not be substantial, but they will be noticeable. Given what the Bears are expecting from Anthony Miller this year, having him and his chronic shoulder issues returning kicks is less than ideal. Patterson's returned 176 kicks over six seasons and until last year, had never missed a game. 

"He's a weapon, and for us to be able to use him, you saw what New England did with him," Nagy said. "We'll have our own stuff that we do. You'll see some of that and you won't see some things. He's a big player. You look at him, he's huge. When you're huge and you're fast, those combinations usually work."

Patterson's combo of size -- he's listed at 6-2, 220lb -- and speed (4.42 40) provide the Bears a tool in the backfield that Matt Nagy has yet to have. Taylor Gabriel (5'8, 165) led the receivers in rushing attempts (9) last season, and as a whole the group only had 25. Last year alone, Patterson had 42. 

Nagy loves himself a trick play, so it's no wonder that he continually refers to himself as a ‘kid in a candy store' when implementing Patterson into the offense. Considering that the head coach has already gotten in the habit of calling the new receiver ‘Trojan', it's not hard to see what's in store in the coming months. 

"He brings that explosive play at any moment," Tarik Cohen -- no stranger to trick plays himself-- said. "It's great to have another guy like that on the field. I'm just ready to see what he can do."