The bond between Allen Robinson and Darnell Mooney continues to grow. A closer look at the Chicago Bears’ passing attack.

The Chicago Bears held their first training camp practice of 2021 on Wednesday afternoon at Halas Hall, eager to begin an important stretch of development and team building.

As the team continue progressing through camp, the Tribune is taking a look at each position group. Today: receivers.

Currently on roster: 13

Projected on final roster: 6

Roster locks: Allen Robinson, Darnell Mooney

Good bets: n/a

On the bubble: Damiere Byrd, Marquise Goodwin, Riley Ridley, Javon Wims and Justin Hardy

Practice squad candidates: Dazz Newsome, Jester Weah, Rodney Adams, Chris Lacy and Thomas Ives

Camp depth: Jon’Vea Johnson

Biggest offseason developments

The Bears placed the franchise tag on Allen Robinson and were unable to negotiate a long-term extension for their top receiver. Robinson will make just under $18 million this season on the tag. … Marquise Goodwin agreed to a one-year, $1.2 million deal in April. … The team used a sixth-round pick to draft North Carolina’s Dazz Newsome. … Damiere Byrd signed a one-year, $1.1 million deal in May. … The Bears traded Anthony Miller, a 2018 second-round pick, to the Houston Texans last weekend.

What to like

Robinson may not be thrilled with his contract status, stuck to play 2021 under the franchise tag without the security of the long-term extension he long wanted. But Robinson is also the kind of team-first, low-maintenance leader who won’t let that disappointment affect his work habits or focus of the group. In fact, Robinson’s hunger to prove he should be considered a top-five receiver may only push him harder. The veteran receiver has continually noted that he has a goal to improve his yards per catch average and red zone production, and has been working to increase his top-end speed and speed endurance.

Upon checking into camp Tuesday, Robinson expressed his eagerness to develop a rapport with veteran quarterback Andy Dalton.

“Andy is a pro,” Robinson said. “He has played a lot of ball. He’s played in different offenses and played with some pretty high-profile receivers. I’m definitely excited to play more and more with him. And just from the conversations I’ve had with him and some of the reps we got in mandatory minicamp, I’m definitely excited.”

Robinson is also expected to continue providing mentorship to the Bears’ young receivers, most notably Darnell Mooney, who set a team rookie record with 61 catches last season. Matt Nagy has emphasized his desire to get Mooney more involved in the passing game, looking to tap into the young receiver’s speed to stretch the field.

Nagy said this offseason he saw a combination of talent and ambition in Mooney that reminded him of DeSean Jackson and Tyreek Hill at similar stages.

“I’m just going to tell you right now that this guy is the complete package,” Nagy said. “He’s going to have the ability in time to be comparable to those (guys). … He has a very high ceiling and that’s exciting as a coach.”

Robinson, meanwhile, is helping Mooney better understand the blueprint for being a reliable professional and a driven competitor. The bond between the two receivers is growing.

“Every day he amazes me and adds a little bit more not just to my game but to me as a person,” Mooney said.

The Bears will have some intriguing August battles to sort out the depth at receiver heading into the regular season. But if the 1-2 punch of Robinson and Mooney produce to its potential, that should provide a lot to like.

Biggest question

How big of a deal was the recent trade that sent Anthony Miller to the Houston Texans?

General manager Ryan Pace traded up to draft Miller in 2018, enamored with his quickness and competitive tenacity. Miller’s rookie season (33 catches, 423 yards, a team-best seven receiving touchdowns) was evidence of his promise. But for myriad reasons, he never could find much consistency and drew frequent criticism throughout his three seasons in Chicago for a lack of reliability as a route runner. Calls for greater focus and maturity were frequent as well.

Miller didn’t help himself in the Bears’ wild-card round loss in January when he was ejected in the third quarter for aggressively shoving New Orleans Saints defensive back C.J. Gardner-Johnson after the entire Bears receiving corps had been reminded repeatedly throughout the week about avoiding confrontations with the oft-antagonistic Gardner-Johnson. That was the punctuation on a disappointing season in which Miller recorded only 485 yards and two touchdowns.

Rumors were abundant throughout the spring that the Bears were looking to trade Miller. But a deal didn’t materialize until last weekend when Pace finally sent Miller and a seventh-round pick in 2022 to the Houston Texans in exchange for a fifth-rounder. That adds Miller to a list of Day 2 draft picks over the past decade who fizzled badly with the Bears. (See also: Adam Shaheen, Jonathan Bullard, Hroniss Grasu, Ego Ferguson, Will Sutton, Jon Bostic and Brandon Hardin.)

Now a quest to add more talent and solidify receiving depth takes on greater urgency. The Bears signed Goodwin and Byrd in free agency this spring and drafted Newsome in Round 6. They see potential in fourth-year journeyman Weah. The quest to bring Ridley along continues.

Somewhere between now and Week 1, Nagy and receivers coach Mike Furrey will have to gain confidence in one or more of those players to take on a significant role in the offense.

The swing and miss on Miller is weighty with the return on investment bringing back pennies on the dollar. And now the Bears must again go into troubleshooting mode to replace a high draft pick they had originally believed would be a major contributor for years.

Fresh faces

With a desire to add more speed to the passing game, the Bears signed Goodwin in April and Byrd about a month later. Both veterans have the ability to take the top off opposing defenses, offering deep ball opportunities for the quarterbacks.

“Those guys obviously bring a lot of juice to the room when it comes to sheer playmaking ability,” Nagy said.

Goodwin opted out of the 2020 season because of concerns for his infant daughter regarding COVID-19. His best season came in 2017 with the San Francisco 49ers when he caught 56 balls for 962 yards with two touchdowns. Goodwin still has plenty of speed and athleticism and competed at the U.S. Olympic trials for the long jump this summer. Furrey lauded his intelligence and patience as a route runner. He’ll be given every opportunity to land a contributing role.

“It’s a great addition to our room,” Furrey said.

Byrd, meanwhile, is coming off a promising 47-catch, 604-yard season with the New England Patriots.

You should know

The Bears were drawn to Newsome’s quickness and playmaking ability and believe he can be a weapon in their offense well into the future. But Newsome fractured his collarbone during the first week of OTAs and needed surgery soon after. His recovery and rehabilitation is ongoing, and he is on the physically-unable-to-perform list as training camp begins.

The Bears are hopeful Newsome can recover quickly and continue his development. But it would not be a shock if the rookie receiver spent much, if not all, of 2021 on the practice squad.

Quote of note

“I can only tell you what he’s told me and that’s (his goal) to erase all potential. A lot of people have told him what his potential is, how he can accomplish this and accomplish that. And I think right now it’s going to be about erasing the potential and really just becoming what he can become. Obviously with his mindset, his maturity, his discipline and who he is as a person, it’s going to be fun to watch him.” — Furrey on the next step for Mooney heading into his second season

Big number

2,397

Receiving yards over the last two seasons for Robinson. The 27-year-old playmaker is one of only two receivers in the NFL to have at least 90 catches and 1,000 yards in each of the last two seasons. DeAndre Hopkins of the Arizona Cardinals is the other. A pair of tight ends — Travis Kelce and Darren Waller — have also achieved the feat.

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