- Dan Izzuta at the 33rd Team speculates upon what the Ben Johnson–Caleb Williams offense will look like:
“Williams was a better and more willing passer on play-action from under center than given credit for. It just often rarely worked within the game script for the Bears to settle into anything but throwing from shotgun.
“Last season, 92.3 percent of [Lions QB Jared] Goff’s play-action passes came from under center, while just 60.4 percent of Williams’s did.
“It wouldn’t be a surprise to see Rome Odunze play more from the slot in a role similar to Amon-Ra St. Brown. That could give Williams a trusted target for some of those middle-of-the-field routes and a go-to receiver on slants for an easy completion.
“Odunze was more effective in the slot as a rookie (1.55 yards per route run to 0.97), and his size could work as a power-slot role while still getting opportunities to work outside.
“As a rookie, Odunze lined up in the slot on 33.7 percent of his snaps. St. Brown was in the slot 44.1 percent of the time in 2024.
It certainly wouldn’t surprise me if Williams was under center more. As what most people would characterize as an “old school” football fan, I’ve always believed in the downhill running game with the play action pass off of it. It seems that, at least with the Lions personnel, Ben Johnson agreed with that philosophy. It certainly wouldn’t break my heart to see him. Try it here in Chicago.
Having said that, he’s gone, and he’s got a lot of work to do in order to set that up. It’s no news to anyone that the Bears need offensive linemen, and if they want to run a downhill running game, it’s going to be a determining factor in terms of the characteristics that they will look for in the linemen that they sign and draft. Certainly, they will look for a lineman who can block effectively in the running game.
I’m not sure about how I feel about the idea that Odunze would play in the slot. My gut feeling is that he could play any wide receiver position on the field. He might be more valuable as a downfield option on the outside. Just to my eye, he looked at me like he was quite capable of playing that role.
Once again, it will depend upon who their other wide receivers are. I don’t see the Bears re-signing Keenan Allen, but if they do, Odunze obviously doesn’t play regularly in the slot.
- Kevin Fishbain at The Athletic answers your questions:
“Do you see any chance that the Bears draft tight end Tyler Warren out of Penn State, and do you see any similarities, skill-wise, between him and Brock Bowers? — Michael L.
“After what Bowers did as a rookie — 1,196 receiving yards — teams will certainly be looking for the next great tight end. Warren was outstanding at Penn State and showed tons of athleticism. In Dane Brugler’s top 100, he’s ranked No. 10, right where the Bears pick.
“As mentioned in the Bears’ salary-cap preview, should the team decide to move on from Cole Kmet, it would create cap space without saddling them with a lot of dead money. However, I look at it differently. Kmet had his best catch percentage last year and a career high in yards per target, but the offense did little to feature him. Now enter Johnson, who oversaw Sam LaPorta’s production in Detroit. Maybe Kmet can’t get to that level, but from a resources perspective, I’d be more intrigued with the possibility of the Bears adding a second tight end behind Kmet as opposed to using a top-10 pick on one. This, of course, hinges on Johnson’s evaluation of both Kmet and Warren.”
Yes, I certainly could see the Bears drafting a tight end. That would fit with a run-based, play-action offensive plan outlined in the comment I had above.
But first round? Given the Bears needs along the line of scrimmage, I’d be very surprised. The Bears would have to be absolutely convinced that Warren would be a superstar.
Would that make Kmet available to trade? Sounds like a mistake. He’s a good, young player and I think you need two good tight ends who can block. We know Kmet can do that.
- Brad Biggs at the Chicago Tribune answers your questions:
“Given that it can be difficult to find multiple OL starters in the same draft and Ryan Poles is hesitant to spend big on individual players in free agency, do you think the Bears will focus on signing less expensive linemen and maybe forgoing Trey Smith? Specifically, could Drew Dalman become a priority free-agency signing at center coupled with someone like Brandon Scherff at right guard? The team could follow up by using its first three draft picks on OL, DL and RB. — Tim T.”
“It’s difficult to forecast how the puzzle will be put together. We’re a month away from the start of free agency. I could envision a scenario in which the Bears sign two offensive linemen in free agency and add one with a premium draft pick — one of their first two selection. They also could double down on offensive linemen by taking two in their first three picks and signing two veterans in free agency.
“If Smith doesn’t reach free agency or the Bears don’t land him, there’s a long list of experienced guards they could consider. Scherff, 33, is probably older than they would want to consider, at least as a Plan B. You’re talking about more of a stop-gap measure than a building block.
I hate the idea of dipping into free agency to try to fill these gaps on the offense and defensive line of scrimmage. There seems to be a general assumption that the Bears need to rebuild everything in one year. I don’t necessarily think that that’s the case.
Poles has been effectively given a vote of confidence by surviving the Matt Eberflus regime and Johnson is a new coach who will be given multiple years to turn this thing around.
I think the Bears organization will be satisfied in 2025 if the team simply shows improvement and gives them some hope that the current structure is the future.
- Biggs answers another one:
“Have heard and read the Bears may have had interest in Micah Parsons. Do you think with the coaching change they still have interest and, if so, what would the comp be? If it’s just the first-rounder this year, I could convince myself to do it. You? — @the maxconnor1
“In the event the Cowboys decide to take calls on Parsons, every team should have interest. But your compensation for acquiring him — one first-round draft pick — is incredibly light. A package to acquire Parsons would start with two first-round picks and grow from there. Then the acquiring team likely would have to sign Parsons to a deal making him the highest-paid defensive player in the NFL.
My only comment here is that it’s a good draft for defensive linemen. Indeed, if the Bears go best player available, I would bet that defensive lineman would be the pick. Indeed, offensive line could be the “quarterback” of this draft. A lot of teams need help there. Good players could fall because of that.
- Again from Biggs:
“Why are the Bears always near the top of the “cap room available” lists entering the offseason? It’s obviously better to have cap room than not but it’s also better to be in the playoffs than not. What does Ryan Poles need to change in his cap management to make us a perennial contender? — @therealphedog
“The Bears have not always been near the top of the league in available cap space. Remember, when Poles took over in 2022, the Bears were pressed against the cap and wound up making a series of moves to clear the books and reset their ledger. In doing so, they carried roughly $85 million in dead cap space that season.
“Since then they’ve had one of the younger rosters in the league, and generally speaking that can mean more players on cost-controlled deals. The Bears haven’t had a highly paid quarterback since Jay Cutler’s eight-year run. It’s safe to say few teams (if any) have used less cap space on quarterbacks than the Bears since the start of the 2017 season, the first year without Cutler.”
“When you don’t have a lot of players to give second contracts to, it makes it easier to manage the cap. I’d remind folks what I wrote coming out of the Senior Bowl last month. I think there’s a solid chance the Bears will attempt to get an extension done with nickel cornerback Kyler Gordon, who will be entering the final year of his rookie contract in 2025. That’s a move that could take a little chunk out of the cap space.”
I couldn’t agree with this more.
In a way, the questioner is right. The fact that the Bears have so much cap space is, in a way, a damning fact. They just haven’t drafted enough players that they want to keep. If you draft better, then you need to re-sign those players and that’s where your cap space will go. And, of course, that’s where it’s best utilized. Because you know those players are the best.
- And more from Biggs:
“Ryan Poles has been very cautious in free agency in the past. Is that, in your opinion, a reflection of who has been available or Poles being afraid to pull the trigger? — Steve, Chicago”
“The Bears haven’t been the most aggressive team in free agency the past couple of years, but they’ve spent a good deal of money. Poles has been relatively calculated and is perfectly willing to ‘pull the trigger,’ as you say. Some additions have worked better than others, and I would imagine the Bears will be aggressive in pursuing offensive linemen and potentially some defensive linemen this year.
“I think some folks have put way too much stock in the idea the Bears have a boatload of available cap space. That’s a good thing and it gives them flexibility, but you can’t build the framework for a perennial contender via free agency. The Bears have been entirely too reliant on free agency over the last two decades or so, mostly because they’ve been unsuccessful at stocking certain positions via the draft. Free agency should be a means to plug a hole here or there. So a measured approach is always prudent.”
I would obviously agree with all of this.
I might add that the reason that the Bears have so much space is because so many players that were on the team last year don’t have contracts with them this year. The Bears have 31 players set to become free agents: 21 unrestricted, five restricted and five exclusive rights. That exaggerates the cap number because, while there’s a lot of money to spend, they have to use it to sign a lot of players. It’s also a reflection of how many players they have signed in the past that they haven’t wanted to keep long-term.
- And more from Biggs:
“It looks like the Bears are going to focus on the center/guard positions this offseason. After watching what Philadelphia’s defensive line did to Kansas City with its outside rush, is it realistic to think an average left tackle like Braxton Jones could stand up to a playoff-level pass rush? — Marc B., Nashville, Tenn.
“I would not rule out the possibility the Bears land a new left tackle this offseason. If they do, I believe that would arrive in the form of a draft pick. You’d be looking at LSU’s Will Campbell or perhaps Texas’ Kelvin Banks Jr. I don’t know how Ohio State’s Josh Simmons will be evaluated. He suffered a season-ending knee injury in October. I saw him at the Senior Bowl in Mobile, Ala., and that was likely an effort to get in front of some teams and meet with them.
“Many variables will play into this decision. How does the new coaching staff evaluate Jones? What kind of consensus do the Bears reach on the top left tackle prospects in the draft? Who will be on the board when they pick at No. 10? What pieces for the offensive line makeover will Ryan Poles be able to add first in free agency? Which other positions can be upgraded in free agency and how significant will those moves be? The first week or so of free agency likely will leave some clues as to which direction the Bears will be going in the draft, but they need to remain fluid and stay true to their board.
“I’d point out that the Lions used first-round picks on running back Jahmyr Gibbs and linebacker Jack Campbell in 2023. I’m referencing this not because I think new Bears coach Ben Johnson had major sway in the draft room in Detroit but because — at the time — that first-round haul was roundly criticized. Gibbs wasn’t viewed as an every-down running back, and stack linebackers have been devalued over the last decade or so. The Lions went with players they felt had great value and fit their culture, and GM Brad Holmes nailed both picks. Maybe they weren’t the team’s biggest needs — although linebacker was a need at the time — but the Lions got players they can build around.
“Poles has to come out of this draft with players he can build around, and he can’t risk forcing a pick that might not have the same ceiling or draft grade as others because the player fills a need.”
Ideally, the Bears would go with the best player available just as the Lions did. However, both you and Biggs know that this isn’t always the case realistically. It will be a balance between the best player available and need.
If I were to guess, as indicated above, I’d say that these two things marry when it comes to the defensive line prospects. Defensive line is considered to be a strength of the draft and it is certainly a need for the Bears.
- Again from Biggs:
“Do you think the Bears feel comfortable with Tyrique Stevenson as a starting cornerback entering next season? He and Terell Smith had some struggles last season and I wonder if they need an upgrade there. — @michael16824439”
“If [Bears secondary coach Al] Harris can break through with Stevenson, I believe the Bears have a pretty talented player. It’s about consistency, routine and focus for Stevenson — stuff he has lacked at times. Harris had a knack for developing younger players with the Cowboys, and his arrival could be a good thing for Stevenson and Smith.
“The Bears have clear needs this offseason and if you add cornerback to the list, pretty soon they’ll have more than they reasonably can fill in one offseason.”
Bears in mind that Stevenson and Smith were both targeted more because teams didn’t want to throw to Jaylon Johnson‘s side of the field. I think these are pretty good young players to build around and giving them more time to develop would be a pretty good idea. I don’t see major changes at cornerback this off-season.
- More from Biggs:
“Under the CBA, is Ben Johnson allowed to have Zoom contact with Caleb Williams like the Bears were able to some when he was a prospect? At what point in the offseason can they watch film and discuss his comfort level with certain plays? When can they actually start bonding? — @gregfeltes
“Johnson won’t be able to begin working with Williams until April 7, the first day teams that hired new head coaches can begin their voluntary offseason programs.
“According to Article 21, Section 2 of the collective bargaining agreement, ‘prior to the commencement of the club’s official offseason workout program, players are not permitted to participate in club-supervised workouts, club-supervised practices, group or individual meetings with coaches, group or individual film study with coaches or group or individual playbook study with coaches.’
“So you’re looking at a little more than six weeks before Johnson and the coaching staff can begin working with players.”
Honestly, I don’t see this as a major issue.
Williams has plenty of time to work in the off-season with personal coaches who can sharpen his mechanics and his footwork. In my opinion, he needs help with that as much as anything else associated with his game.
There’s plenty of time for Johnson to sit in the film work and work with Williams later in the off-season. But I really don’t want to see Williams neglect the fundamentals because, given the lack of quarterback coaching experience on the offensive coaching staff, I don’t see him getting all the help he needs in that area after that.
One Final Thought
And one more from Biggs:
“At what point will Ryan Poles shift draft strategy from increasing the number of picks to potentially trading future picks to go ‘all in’? — @rgbears69
“I think you’re looking at this the wrong way. For starters, the first year for a new coaching staff with a roster coming off a five-win season seems like an odd time to mortgage the future for the present.
“Teams that win consistently do so largely because they have a knack for drafting and developing players on a consistent basis. Rarely do teams that make desperation moves to win the offseason reap the benefits during the season.
“One thing that really stands out about the Lions, when you look at the way GM Brad Holmes and coach Dan Campbell have built that franchise to a level it hasn’t seen in ages, is the slow and steady approach. The Lions have been very selective in free agency. They haven’t had an “all in” offseason, and look where they are.”
“The Bears don’t have a shortage of good draft capital this year. They own two second-round picks and four of the top 74 selections. Trading future draft capital to amass more premium picks seems like a poor idea considering the tax required. You won’t get a second-round pick in 2025 by trading a second-round pick in 2026.”
Once again, I could not agree with this more.
I think this fan has the wrong idea about how you build a football franchise.
The Bears do not want to go all in to win for one season. Ideally, they want to be the kind of franchise that competes to win on an annual basis year after year. Think Baltimore Ravens, Pittsburgh Steelers, Green Bay Packers. These are franchises that, while they may not always win their division or win the Super Bowl, compete to be in the picture year after year.
The Bears need to get back to this level. They haven’t been there since the Lovie Smith and Jerry Angelo days.