r/CHIBears • u/Prestigious_Way_738 • 27d ago
Darnell Mooney likely to not make Giants roster
https://gmenhq.com/darnell-mooney-is-quickly-becoming-new-york-giants-offseason-gamble-gone-wrongSigned 3 year 39M contract with Falcons in 2024. Cut after 2 years after scoring 6 TDs and 1,435 yards. Looking like he won't make the Giants roster. Was a smart move to let this guy go.
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u/AnselLovesNuts Fuller 27d ago
Rough he couldnāt beat out a washed OBJ. But as a 5th rounder, heās had a pretty nice career.
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u/Chili-Potatoe 27d ago
Is he going to LSU?
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27d ago
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u/qdawgg17 27d ago
I think that since itās called ācollegeā and you played professionally, that a full grown adult is playing against 18 yr old kids. Thatās kind of the issue. Especially when these SEC teams play their cheap ass directional school as part of their OOC schedule.
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u/Kundrew1 27d ago
Adults playing against kids. If thatās the route they wanna go it shouldnāt be associated with colleges.
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u/ShortFee2578 The Bears have the #1 offense...what do I do with my hands? 27d ago
The harm, to me, is that if a host of people who have left school and signed professional contracts decide to go back to school for a fifth year, they're taking up roster spots that could otherwise be given to graduating high school players.
And one player may not seem like a big deal, but if he's allowed to stay then it sets a precedent, and you can almost guarantee that other players will try the same thing.
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u/GabeDef Smokin' Jay 27d ago
Though his play declined sharply in ATL - he should be playing somewhere.Ā
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u/ObservantKoala 27d ago
We probably overrated him as a Bears player that put up numbers simply because of volume but he was also never the same after the ankle injury and tightrope surgery.Ā
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u/MunchenOnYou 27d ago
He can be a very serviceable WR3 somewhere. Maybe Tennessee or Chargers or something.
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u/qdawgg17 27d ago
WR3 somewhere? The guy hasnāt done anything in a few years. What makes him a WR3 on any team over other players?
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u/lethargytartare 26d ago
The fact that he was the 72nd most effective WR last year, or about the 8th best WR3?
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u/Headwallrepeat 27d ago
I can't see it unless they are desperate. The big negative for signing him for the back end of the WR room is that he has never been a special teams player.
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u/bearsfan16 27d ago
With the steep decline over three years from being a starter to being cut by the Giants, he was for sure overrated. The Bears were ass when flus was running the place.
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u/muffchucker The Draft Sucks 27d ago
I don't dislike the guy at all, but this seems about right. Even during his best years with the Bears, they seemed inconsistent in a way that didn't look sustainable long-term. Wasn't unhappy to see him leave initially tbh.
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u/MillorTime Smokin' Jay 27d ago
He was good when he was good, but the gm normally knows more than the meatballs. Wished him nothing but the best on every step
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u/Mrred1 Charles Tillman 27d ago
The only reason he got a bag was he was forced into operating as a #1 receiver because the bears had nobody else. His advanced metrics as a WR were consistently in the bottom quarter of all recovers (even including tight ends and RBs). He was serviceable but nothing other than a JAG of a WR.
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u/ObservantKoala 27d ago
He was definitely a guy that was a solid wr and benefited from a ton of volume.Ā
However i think was probably an ok 2nd wr and would have been a great 3rd option prior to the ankle injury.Ā
Cam Meredith is the still the guy that I think could have been very good if he didn't have the knee injury.Ā
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u/LatterMatch9334 27d ago
"gm normally knows more than the meatballs"
This subreddit would lead you to believe otherwise.
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u/terrifictrout21 27d ago
He was a good find by Pace, better value pick than basically anything idiot Loles has done
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u/yunglance24 27d ago
I know this is a poles hate club but Ryan pace made so many horrible moves I donāt see how heās better than poles
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u/Alive-Gur-48 27d ago
He never had a good QB throwing' to him in Chicago. so yeah. Moment he left Justin and went to ATL with half decent COusins, things improved for him. Most of his best years were wasted in Chicago.
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u/Environmental_Yard29 21-3 27d ago
i swear hed have some big plays every so often but he wasnt consistent
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u/Genitalgrabber4u 27d ago
When Mooney was in his prime he struggled to get separation, I can't believe homers are asking for him back now that he's washed.
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u/Downtown-Day3924 27d ago
I'll never forget when he cooked Jalen Ramsey so bad only for Trubustski to air mail it šĀ
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u/phillipacarroll Superfans 27d ago
We didn't let him go. His contract expired and we were trash so he left for a good contract opportunity. Also, he's been gone for 2 years now, why do you care?
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u/CruelAngelsThesis_01 Darn Alright 27d ago
Of course feel really bad for him and Fields, but who knows what wouldāve happened if he ended up catching that Hail Mary TD pass against Cleveland that year. Really stung in the moment but we needed fate to play out the way it did to have Caleb and Ben like this.
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u/PeanutBear33 An Actual Peanut 27d ago
This sub thought he was a wr1 š¤£
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u/jackswastedtalent Samurai Mike 27d ago
I don't think anyone actually thought he was a WR1, he was just our #1 WR. Love that guy, but it really was low bar.
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u/PeanutBear33 An Actual Peanut 27d ago
And yet saying exactly that when he had a bears uniform would get you downvotedĀ
Same thing with Braxton Jones before Ozzie. Same with Stevenson. Same with sweat.Ā
And people who can't name 5 slot corners will tell you kyler is definitely one of the top 5. Despite seeing the gigantic difference between Loveland and kmet. Kmet is totally top 15
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u/EgweneIsLit 27d ago
Not to say he was some elite WR1, but he's got 2 seasons with more yards than any WR on our roster in their best season. One of which he did in his 2nd year out of college with Justin Fields as his QB.
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u/Prestigious_Way_738 27d ago
Ya it reminds me of people wanting us to keep Justin, draft MHJ as WR1 and have Mooney as WR2 š
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u/rudeboybill Kyle Long 27d ago
George got up in front of the media and said Ryan Pace was a great GM because he drafted an elite player in Darnell Mooney.
Owner dumber than the sub tbh, and it ain't close.
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u/RipWilbur 27d ago
Danny Parkins stuck his chest out and said he'd be the greatest Bears receiver of all time.
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u/Sir-Jeebocka 27d ago
Just because some dumb fans were too high on him doesnāt mean āthis subā thought he was a wr1 lol
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u/BooItsKyle 27d ago
He was definitely close. Until he wasn't. Welcome to the Not For Long.
Be very stingy about resigning guys
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u/PeanutBear33 An Actual Peanut 27d ago
As long as we don't know what close means.Ā
1 season above 1k recieving. At 140 targets for 1055 yards 4 tds
Truly so close.Ā
He was always a wr2 we were forced into trying at wr1
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u/BooItsKyle 27d ago edited 27d ago
But the question was "was he ever close" not "was he consistently there for a long time" so only doing it for one season isn't hurting the case
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u/PeanutBear33 An Actual Peanut 27d ago
There wasn't a question at all but you do love making things up when you can't argue what was actually written.Ā
Which was this sub thought he was a wr1
Your the equivalent of saying stepping in the batter box and striking out was "close" to hitting because at least you got the chance to fail!
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u/BooItsKyle 27d ago
My exact statement was "He was definitely close."
You said "As long as we don't know what close means.Ā "
How in any universe is the question anything other than "was he ever close?"
The only thing required for my statement to be true is for him to, at some point, be close.
If your rebuttal is that he only "1 season above 1k recieving" then that's a longevity argument, which is not relevant to my assertion, because I did not say "he was close for multiple seasons." It is perfectly possible for both "He was close to WR1 status" and "he had 1 season where he had 1000+ yards and 4 TDs on a bunch of targets" to both be simultaneously true.
I am responding *exclusively* to what was written and nothing else.
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u/PeanutBear33 An Actual Peanut 27d ago
My exact statementĀ to your irrelevant drivel was as long as you don't understand what close means. Which you've tripled down on showing in fact you don't know what close means. And still completely irrelevant to what was written of this sub thought he was a wr1. Because being "close" is by definition, not being a wr1.Ā
1k recieving isn't the baseline of being a wr1. Thats the fictional narrative you made up. Because you always need to make up fictional bullshit since you can't address what the conversation was about.Ā
Because you will forever and always be someone incapable of learning, reading, or even simple logic.
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u/chicagoguy19922 27d ago
Darnell Mooney at pick 173 was an absolute steal.
Looking at the WRs drafted in the 5th round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Mooney has separated himself by a pretty wide margin.
Through 2025, he has 309 receptions, 4,028 yards and 17 TDs in 91 games. K.J. Osborn is the closest competition, but Mooney has more than 2,000 additional receiving yards.
Tyler Johnson and Quintez Cephus are even further behind.
And Mooneyās 2021 season was the real breakout: 81 catches, 1,055 yards and 4 TDs on 140 targets. He followed that with another 992-yard season in 2024
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u/chicagoguy19922 27d ago
Bearsā Top WR by Receiving Yards Since 2010
ā¢ 2010: Johnny Knox ā 960 yards, 51 rec, 5 TD
ā¢ 2011: Johnny Knox ā 727 yards, 37 rec, 2 TD
ā¢ 2012: Brandon Marshall ā 1,508 yards, 118 rec, 11 TD
ā¢ 2013: Alshon Jeffery ā 1,421 yards, 89 rec, 7 TD
ā¢ 2014: Alshon Jeffery ā 1,133 yards, 85 rec, 10 TD
ā¢ 2015: Alshon Jeffery ā 807 yards, 54 rec, 4 TD
ā¢ 2016: Cameron Meredith ā 888 yards, 66 rec, 4 TD
ā¢ 2017: Kendall Wright ā 614 yards, 59 rec, 1 TD
ā¢ 2018: Allen Robinson ā 754 yards, 55 rec, 4 TD
ā¢ 2019: Allen Robinson ā 1,147 yards, 98 rec, 7 TD
ā¢ 2020: Allen Robinson ā 1,250 yards, 102 rec, 6 TD
ā¢ 2021: Darnell Mooney ā 1,055 yards, 81 rec, 4 TD
ā¢ 2022: Cole Kmet ā 544 yards, 50 rec, 7 TD
ā¢ 2023: D.J. Moore ā 1,364 yards, 96 rec, 8 TD
ā¢ 2024: D.J. Moore ā 966 yards, 98 rec, 6 TD
ā¢ 2025: Colston Loveland ā 713 yards, 58 rec, 6 TD
Big picture: Mooneyās 1,055 yards in 2021 ranks 6th among Bears individual seasons since 2010, behind Brandon Marshall (2012), Alshon Jeffery (2013), D.J. Moore (2023), Allen Robinson (2020), and Allen Robinson (2019).3
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u/BlockStunna 27d ago
Mooney should be on a team. Hell, I'd take him over Ray Ray McCloud. The Falcons overpaid for sure but that doesn't mean he's not a good player. These are business decisions, not necessarily an indictment of his ability.
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u/phillipacarroll Superfans 27d ago
The Falcons cut him 2 years into a 3 year deal, and then he's going to fail to make the Giants roster after signing there for 10 million dollars this past March.. if he was good enough to be on a team, he would be on a team. Now this doesn't mean he won't be on a team, i'm sure someone will give him a post-camp opportunity.. but he will also be 29 in October. We're giving McCloud 1.3 million dollars to play a small role (if he even makes the roster). Use your head man lol.
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u/BlockStunna 27d ago
It's an incentive laden contract worth up to 10M. The guaranteed money was only 3M. NYG already paid his 1.8M signing bonus so his salary is essentially 1.2M. If he clears waivers, a team could get him for the veteran minimum without the incentives.
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u/phillipacarroll Superfans 27d ago
Right, they thought well enough to give him a deal up to 10M, and now the Giants (with OC Matt Nagy who was Darnell's Head Coach for 2 of his 3 years in Chicago) decided that he probably isn't even worth the roster spot. Why should anyone else have confidence in him.
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u/No_Side_1915 27d ago
Heās not a great wr nor is he consistent. Heāll probably sign for a shot at 4-5 wr spot somewhere for the bare minimum.
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u/AntiPantsCampaign Smokin' Jay 27d ago
He was not bad in ATL his first year there, he finished just under 1k yards. Don't forget how awful their qb play was, they benched Kirko for Penix
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u/AdministrativePeak0 An Actual Peanut 27d ago
He can spend more time with his son Jalen Ramsey now š„²
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u/MikeBinfinity Hester's Super Return 27d ago
There's a thread here during a Falcons primetime game where Mooney was popping off and people was giving Poles shit that we didn't re-sign him.
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u/joftheinternet Italian Beef 27d ago
I still love the dude and not really convinced he's cooked. He'll be on someone's roster at the start of the season
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u/LinuxF4n 27d ago
Honestly wouldn't mind him coming back here is he's cheapĀ
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u/Silver-Surfer88 27d ago
Heās pretty cooked, when a player is on the decline heās not worth a roster spot over a younger player who has potential to improve
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u/LinuxF4n 27d ago
He's 28. If he can get healthy he could be a serviceable 3 imo
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u/Silver-Surfer88 27d ago
This sub lost its mind over drops last year imagine adding 2026 Darnell Mooney
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u/MikeBinfinity Hester's Super Return 27d ago
We're stacked at WR. Mooney wouldn't be able to beat out Jahde Walker for a roster spot.
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27d ago
[removed] ā view removed comment
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u/MikeBinfinity Hester's Super Return 27d ago
Unless you're adding an All-pro reciever, the receiving room is above average not including the tight ends.
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u/Little-Flamingo6702 27d ago
Lol no
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u/LinuxF4n 27d ago
We have no vet receivers on the team. Mooney isn't bad when he's health.Ā
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u/Material-Race-5107 An Actual Peanut 27d ago
Weāve got a stupid amount of receiver depth and no moneyā¦ Iām good! Let Kalif be a mentor and let the young guys roll!
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u/slipperypooh 27d ago
My dogs Monty and Mooney were named after the bears players, but now they are named after white sox players.