Shane Waldron arrived with the difficult task of picking up the pieces of the Chicago Bears offense left behind by Luke Getsy. The franchise has been through this situation too many times. Finding a capable offensive coordinator is a challenge they’ve rarely overcome in the past couple of decades. Head coach Matt Eberflus felt Waldron had the background and experience needed to settle the position. Early returns from training camp and the preseason suggest the man is a considerable upgrade over his predecessor.
The quarterbacks love him. He’s done great work developing them this summer. No complaints have surfaced from other position groups. By all accounts, he is liked and respected across the locker room. However, Ian Hartitz of Fantasy Life does have one lingering fear. Waldron’s style of offense may end up alienating one of his most talented players.
The Bears rank last in 11 personnel rate (40.2%) this preseason.
11 personnel signifies formations that feature only one TE and RB on the field. While Waldron initially worked as the Rams’ passing game coordinator from 2018 to 2020 under noted three-WR-lover Sean McVay, his last three seasons with the Seahawks featured more two-TE formations than certain fantasy managers would have liked:
Seahawks 11 personnel usage:
2021: 64.5%, 12th
2022: 52.9%, 27th
2023: 63.4%, 19thThe latter year was particularly annoying because the Seahawks had just spent a first-round pick on Jaxon Smith-Njigba … and now it looks like the same business is going down in Chicago despite the presence of a truly great trio of WRs in DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen.
Right now it looks like Odunze is the odd man out: Moore and Allen posted 100% route participation rates during the second week of the preseason, while the 2024 NFL Draft’s No. 9 overall pick slipped to 68%.
Teams love running three-wide-receiver sets these days. It spreads the defense out and allows the quarterback to pick his targets. Waldron prefers more “12” personnel with two tight ends on the field. Why would he do this? There are a few benefits to this approach. For one, “12” personnel creates an extra gap in the running game, making it more difficult to defend. It also forces the defense to play single-high coverage, making them more susceptible to big throws down the field. Last but not least, it can provide significant advantages in the red zone. That is because opponents can’t play nickel defense against “12” personnel, meaning the Bears would almost always get their tight ends matched up on linebackers or safeties.
While Shane Waldron is entitled to his preferred style of offense, it is also his responsibility to get the most out of his talent. With all due respect to backup tight end Gerald Everett, it is hard to believe he would do more for the Bears than Rome Odunze. Now, with all this being said, it is worth noting Waldron was in the same situation last year with Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Despite heavier doses of “12” personnel, the rookie was still the third-most targeted player on offense behind Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf.
It is a reasonable assumption Waldron will find ways to get Odunze involved.
