The Chicago Bears hired Shane Waldron to take their offense to the next level. They believe he has the expertise and experience to help quarterback Caleb Williams reach his expected heights. Waldron comes from an eclectic mix of proven offensive schemes. There was the Erhart-Perkins system in New England under Bill Belichick and then the wide-zone attack under Sean McVay in Los Angeles. Both took different approaches to helping a young quarterback succeed. He already showed some of that during his three years in Seattle.
Both Russell Wilson and Geno Smith played at a high level under his watch. One thing that experts noted about his approach was a preference to use “12” personnel more often than usual. For those who don’t know, that is when the offense has two receivers, two tight ends, and a running back on the field at the same time. One would think Waldron plans to do the same in Chicago. However, tape analyst Brett Kollmann of The Bootleg Podcast wonders if that might change. Why? He told Bill Zimmerman of Windy City Gridiron there is a specific reasoning for it.
On paper, there is no question it’s at wide receiver. D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen are already Pro Bowl-level players. Rome Odunze is the 9th overall pick and has already made a big impression in spring practices. Having those three on the field together is almost certain to put the most stress on defenses. Couple them with Cole Kmet and D’Andre Swift, and there will be no shortage of weapons for Williams in the passing game. Over the past three years, Waldron ran “12” personnel an average of around 26% of the offensive snaps, ranking in the top 10 across that span. His “11” personnel was around 67%, closer to the league average.
Seeing both of those shift in opposite directions wouldn’t be shocking. Much of this depends on how much Shane Waldron is willing to trust Odunze. He also had a 1st round rookie receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba, last year. While he played the seventh-most snaps of any player on the offense, it didn’t seem to impact the personnel groupings drastically. If Odunze makes it impossible for the team to keep him off the field, that will change in Chicago. There is also the presence of #2 tight end Gerald Everett to consider. He and Waldron have a deep history together.
