The Chicago Bears have revamped their entire offense. Actually, they rebuilt it.
The Chicago Bears have revamped their entire offense. Actually, they rebuilt it.
With the team targeting (and getting) blue chip quarterback prospect Caleb Williams via their no. 1 draft pick this year (and no. 1 pick overall), Chicago’s aim was to plug the potential star into an offense already likely to succeed.
That required a change of almost the entire offensive coaching staff and the addition of new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. It also required a beefing up of the pass-catching corps and some added heft at running back.
Bringing aboard Keenan Allen via trade with the Los Angeles Chargers was key, as was the signing of free agent running back D’Andre Swift. Allen and Swift will be joining wide receiver DJ Moore and tight end Cole Kmet as the starting offensive assets working around the rookie Williams.
Chicago Bears Setting Caleb Williams Up For Success
The thought is that, with these tools available to him from day one in the league, Williams is being put into the best possible situation when it comes to success. And for a young man who’s already drawn fawning praise from experts and comparisons to legends such as Aaron Rodgers and Patrick Mahomes, that’s enough to make even the most cynical Bears fan giddy with positivity.
In a recent ESPN piece, staff writer Bill Barnwell talked about the big improvement Chicago has made on offense, specifically at wide receiver, running back, and tight end. He even ranks the Bears no. 6 in talent when it comes to those three key positions.
“I’m not sure if Keenan Allen, D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze form the best trio of wide receivers a quarterback has had during a rookie season, but it can’t be far off,” Barnwell wrote. “Odunze would be the most exciting wideout on a quarter of the league’s teams before ever playing a snap; here, he’s probably the No. 3 out of the gates.”
High praise indeed.
Cautious Words
Barnwell, however, is cautious about heaping too much praise on the Bears. There are definitely some factors to be considered before crowning Chicago top dog.
“There are reasons to think the expectations might be too high,” Barnwell cautioned. “Odunze, the No. 9 pick, is still unproven. Allen is 32, and while he was still at peak efficiency on the field with the Chargers last season, the 11-year pro has missed 11 games and parts of two more over the past two seasons with various injuries. The Bears might not throw the ball around frequently enough to get all three guys [Allen, Moore, Odunze] the numbers they’re expecting.
Still, the ESPN scribe opines that if just some of what Chicago has comes through, they’ll still have an efficient, effective offense.
“If two of these three wideouts live up to the hopes of fans in 2024, though, that’s just fine for Chicago,” Barnwell asserts. “Cole Kmet also averaged just under 2.0 yards per route run last season, which is plenty efficient for a tight end.”
It’s been a while since the Bears and their fans could be excited about the team’s offensive prowess coming into a season. Actually, it’s hard to remember a time when they were rightfully excited.
This season, though, there’s every reason for optimism and excitement.
