The Chicago Bears got through OTAs and mandatory minicamps without any notable issues. Certain players didn’t complete the full slate due to minor health setbacks, but there were no indications it was something serious. Quarterback Caleb Williams showed steady progress in learning the new offense. The defense looks every bit as talented and ornery as it did last season. Head coach Matt Eberflus seems happy with how things are progressing. Unsurprisingly, he insists there is lots of work to do.
Still, the optimism coming out of the spring seems higher than normal. This doesn’t feel like a team leaning on hope anymore. They seem confident that 2024 is the year they start competing with the big boys. A key reason for that is the arrival of new talent. Keenan Allen came over via trade. Kevin Byard and D’Andre Swift signed as free agents. Of course there is Williams, the #1 overall pick. However, none of them were the ones who impressed Eberflus the most. He had that name ready when asked at his latest presser.
“I would say Rome. Rome really impressed us in terms of his ability to grab concepts and really execute for sure, for sure. But again, there’s a lot of guys that impressed us.”
There is a reason the Bears exhaled with relief when the Washington wide receiver fell to them at #9 in the draft. His unique mixture of size, strength, speed, and route-running ability made him someone they knew could help Williams ascend to NFL success. He’d already done the same for Michael Penix in college. There are already highlights emerging from practice of him making plays against the #1 defense. Most rookies don’t do things like that. Not consistently. It is becoming easier to see why many experts ranked him among the five best prospects in the entire draft.
D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen may get most of the early attention when the season begins but don’t be shocked if Odunze starts demanding more targets as things progress. Talent like that can only be sidelined for so long. It sounds like Matt Eberflus and the coaching staff are anxious to get him involved as much as possible. The young receiver is fighting against some ugly history, too. Chicago hasn’t had a productive 1st round wide receiver in almost 30 years. David Terrell and Kevin White were major busts.
Hopefully he breaks the cycle.
