Bear Digest

Five Sound Ways for Bears Offense to Improve Before Next Season

Analysis: Free agency and the draft can provide specific tweaks for a Bears offense already set on a path toward success in the future by coach Ben Johnson.
Gene Chamberlain|
Jaquan Brisker brings down former Bears tight end Jake Tonges of the 49ers in San Francisco's 42-38 victory.
Jaquan Brisker brings down former Bears tight end Jake Tonges of the 49ers in San Francisco's 42-38 victory. | Sergio Estrada-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

When recent offseasons began for the Chicago Bears, the possibilities for improvement always seemed endless.

That's because when your team stinks so much, there is a lot you can do to improve.

When they have reached the final eight and Caleb Williams has answered the eternal question about what they can do for a quarterback, it greatly reduces the number of measures the Bears can take to advance.

At 12-7, and with the league's sixth-ranked offense, there are still a few tweaks to make on that side of the ball.

When Bears coach Ben Johnson became Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, they needed to get two running backs and a tight end for Year 2 as changes. Plus, Jameson Williams needed to get healthier.

This Bears offense already has a tight end and running backs. Their offense is a train already on the track and rolling. It simply needs to pick up steam.

Here are five key ways they can help it move along. No, one of them is not trading DJ Moore. The Bears waited decades to beat the Packers twice in a row and he did it to them twice inside of a month, but the reward for one poor route is trading him?

Wow. What's the point of even playing the game then?

Draft left tackle

It would be a pick for the second to fourth rounds as a possible Ozzy Trapilo injury replacement, one who would go into the mix with Theo Benedet, Kiran Amegadjie and possibly even Darnell Wright as left tackle until the starter recovers from a patellar tendon injury. 

They went 6-2 in Benedet's eight starts and 5-2 in his starts at left tackle. One of his starts was at right tackle.  Ideally, he is not a left tackle because his arms are way too short but they averaged 152 yards rushing in his left tackle starts.

He is a ferocious run blocker. They definitely could get by with him at left tackle, prepping for the position from the start of OTAs. Adding another draft pick in the mix would help with security, or maybe they even coach that player up enough to let him start.

Draft or sign speed

The Bears probably are not going to find a receiver in the draft with a 4.3 or faster time for the 40, one who takes the roster spot of free agent Olamide Zaccheaus. 

Zaccheaus dropped far too many passes to bring him back.

Johnson's offense works best with one of those burner types worrying DBs on deep routes, even if only as a decoy. This isn't the type of receiver Rome Odunze has been. His strength is something Williams and Ben Johnson say they don't like—50-50 balls. They really haven't had that threat, although they do have decent overall speed.

There are three free agents available like this and two who probably wouldn't cost much. One is Marquise Brown of the Chiefs and another is draft bust Tyquan Thornton. Brown was about a 4.3 guy and Thornton faster at 4.28. Brown, when healthy, has been effective for 40 to 60 catches a year. Thornton has only 58 catches total in four years, but there is no mistaking his speed.

Brown's projected cost in free agency via Spotrac.com is only $5.5 million and he is still 28 years old. He's the best choice to sign.

There is one other possible free agency move to acquire this type of player and that is Seattle's Rashid Shaheed. Considering the Seahawks are in the Super Bowl now, that he is projected at $14.1 million a year, and the Bears are strapped for cash, uh, no, he'll not be coming to Chicago.

It's probably Hollywood Brown or bust on getting faster.

Sign 49ers free agent

One of huge problem the Bears had on offense was failing in short-yardage situations. It proved instrumental in their playoff loss.

On fourth-and-1 runs, they were tied for 30th best in the league at 40% (2-for-5). On third-and-1, they were middle of the pack, better than 15 teams with their 75% converted. And on second-and-1 they were better than 18 teams.

Their saying goes good, better, best and not good, 17th best, 13th best. They want and need to be better in short yardage.

To get better in short yardage, it helps to have better blocking. The keys here are their offensive linemen are already good.

They can get better as blockers at tight end for short yardage.

If they sign former Bears tight end Jake Tonges back from the 49ers, they will be getting one of the NFL's highest-graded run blockers at tight end from the last two seasons per Pro Football Focus. According to PFF, he's better as a run blocker than any tight end the Bears had this year, and Colston Loveland was actually pretty good at it.

This would give them a better third blocking tight end option for third-and-1, fourth-and-1, even second-and-1, than bringing back Durham Smythe. It was Smythe who graded out worst of their three tight ends as a run blocker.

The problem is Tonges is a restricted free agent. That's probably not a huge issue because as a backup and undrafted player, it's unlikely the 49ers would tender Tonges at a level above the projected minimum of $3.45. million. He might even be a player they don’t tender, and try to bring back at a cheaper unrestricted rate.

The 49ers require a lot of their available cap space to pay receiver Jauan Jennings.

Tonges also showed he can make an impact as a receiver by burning the Bears for seven catches, 60 yards and a touchdown last season. The Bears originally waived him before the 2023 season with an injury while making roster cuts.

Learn the tush push

Ben Johnson isn't a tush push guy, he said, because the play isn't explosive enough.

It sure does give you more chances to be explosive, though, unless Nahshon Wright is stealing the ball from your tush-pushed guy.

The short-yardage situation can improve greatly for the Bears if they learn to do what Philadelphia has done.

Maybe they'd be better by not letting Caleb Williams do it. He's not the biggest player and is too valuable as a passer.

Someone with longer arms to move the ball forward would be better. Cole Kmet did it in the past but the perfect option would be Colston Loveland, as a better player on his feet and with the ball in his hands

Time on task

You have to remember one thing about the Bears that goes without mention so often.

They played 19 games under Ben Johnson. They made the playoffs in his first year.

Repetitions in the system, and with Williams simply learning the attack better in another offseason, should naturally improve efficiency.

That's how it's all going to move forward the fastest.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.