Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze, Joe Thuney give Bears’ offense unusual hope for camp

Only three times in the past 30 years have the Chicago Bears placed in the top 10 in total offense — and none of those seasons ranked higher than eighth.

Enter head coach Ben Johnson, three high-priced interior offensive linemen, a top-10 pick at tight end, a second-round wide receiver and a Heisman Trophy winner in his second season.

Expectations for what the Bears offense could be in the next few seasons are unfamiliar to this city, and recently when there has been hype for the offense, it has not panned out (see: 2024, 2019, 2014).

It’s been a long time since the roster on offense looked this good. Games aren’t played on paper, and the Bears offense tends to lag when training camp gets underway. Will this year be different?

Here’s Part I of our look at the Bears’ roster heading into camp. This is the offense.

Quarterbacks

Caleb Williams — The excitement is palpable. Pairing Williams’ natural abilities with someone like Johnson could give the Bears what they’ve swung and missed at for decades. If that’s true, we should see signs of it right away in camp — real signs of progress and the ability for Williams to take off.

Tyson Bagent — Two years ago, Bagent was the No. 4 quarterback. Now he’s attempting to hang on to his role as the No. 2, and he even received a bunch of votes in our “whose jersey would you buy?” survey question. He’s not someone to doubt this time of year. Or maybe any time of year.

Case Keenum — In his only game at Soldier Field, Keenum came in for Sam Bradford and completed 17 of 21 passes with a touchdown in a Vikings win over the Bears in 2017, spoiling Mitch Trubisky’s debut.

Austin Reed — After a 12-of-16 passing performance last preseason with a touchdown, we should see more from Reed this year, especially with the two joint practices likely limiting what Williams does in the preseason. Will he do enough to return to the practice squad, but not too much to get poached?

Running backs

D’Andre Swift— On one hand, a highly paid running back who had some outstanding runs when the Bears offense clicked returns and reunites with a playcaller who knows him well. On the other hand, the Bears were in play for early round backs in the draft, and Swift wasn’t consistently productive enough last season. Regardless of how he’s viewed, he’s RB1.

Roschon Johnson — There’s a thought at Halas Hall that this coaching staff can better use Johnson. He has to stay healthy but is built to complement Swift.

Kyle Monangai — Few seventh-round picks have generated as much buzz as Monangai. Now we’ll see if he can live up to it this preseason.

Travis Homer — Every team has those couple of players whose value goes beyond the usual box score. That’s Homer and what he brings to special teams.

Ian Wheeler — A “Hard Knocks” darling last summer, Wheeler’s torn ACL was a gut-wrenching moment on the HBO show. He’s back, he’s fast, but the practice squad is likely his destination.

Deion Hankins — With the size to punish defenses (226 pounds), Hankins should get plenty of carries in the preseason.

Wide receivers

DJ Moore — Two summers ago, Moore was the star of training camp. There wasn’t a close second. I tend to think that “body language” and “effort” got conflated last season. He and Williams need to develop a better rapport, but Moore shouldn’t be a concern. Let’s see if that talent is evident on the Halas Hall fields.

Rome Odunze — Our fan survey showed how much love there is for Odunze in town. He could be a special player, and that’s without even getting to the cliched Year 2 bump he should enjoy.

Luther Burden III — Atop any “players to watch” list. We haven’t seen Burden on the field since rookie minicamp, so that’s test No. 1. After that, someone with his skill set should absolutely shine in a training camp setting.

Olamide Zaccheaus — A potentially underrated signing, Zaccheaus played an important role in Washington last season. He caught 70.3% of passes thrown his way.

Devin Duvernay — The leader in the clubhouse to be the team’s returner, his speed will be showcased in camp.

Tyler Scott — The three players above may have supplanted Scott. In his third training camp, can his top-end speed help keep him on the roster as a reserve receiver and backup returner?

Miles Boykin — Illinois high school football fans will know the name well. He didn’t live up to his third-round billing in Baltimore. He caught six passes combined from 2021 to 2023.

John Jackson — Williams’ close friend from USC, Jackson’s best shot is to remain with the practice squad.

Samori Toure — He had two catches for 18 yards for the Packers in their 38-20 win over the Bears in 2023.

Maurice Alexander — Spent the 2022-24 seasons with the Lions, so he’ll bring some institutional knowledge to the receivers room.

JP Richardson — My pick for the preseason leader in receptions.

Jahdae Walker — My pick for the preseason leader in yards per catch.

Tight ends

Cole Kmet — Officially the longest-tenured Bear, Kmet has gone through the following playcallers: Matt Nagy, Bill Lazor, Nagy again, I think Lazor again, then Luke Getsy, Shane Waldron, Thomas Brown and now Johnson. Here’s hoping Kmet can gain a little stability with his playbook.

Colston Loveland — Being a top-10 pick at a skill position who did not participate in spring practices, Loveland is a top-five “player to watch” this summer. How quickly can he become a threat in the passing game? With his skill set and this offense, it might not be long.

Durham Smythe — In seven NFL seasons, Smythe has missed only seven games. He won’t be asked to do much, but his knowledge of the system should help the starting tight ends.

Joel Wilson — Known best for getting name-dropped by the head coach at the end of minicamp, Wilson is looking to play in his first NFL game since entering the league in 2023.

Stephen Carlson — Two days after getting promoted from the practice squad, Carlson broke his collarbone — brutal timing after a strong summer. He has appeared in one game since 2020.

Jordan Murray — A good look into how hard it can be to get on the field: Murray has been with the Colts, Texans, Cardinals and Giants since 2022 but has yet to appear in an NFL game.

Offensive linemen

Darnell Wright — Wright didn’t seem to be fully healthy last season, preventing a big jump in performance. With a new offense and coaching staff, let’s see how much he can ascend. The tools are there.

Jonah Jackson — The lineman we might talk about the least, Jackson had a frustrating season in Los Angeles and now reunites with Johnson. He did go to the Pro Bowl after the 2021 season.

Drew Dalman — Set to be the Bears’ fourth Week 1 starter at center in four years, Dalman is supposed to be the one to end that shuffling. He was the top center available and is already a fan favorite.

Joe Thuney — Impress your friends in the stands at training camp by telling them about Stan Jones, the last Bears guard to be named first-team All-Pro … in 1959.

Braxton Jones — No one has greater financial variance on the line this season. If Jones wins the starting job, stays healthy and holds his own at left tackle, he could get a massive contract. If he spends the year as a backup, then he might be looking at a one-year, prove-it deal next winter.

Ozzy Trapilo — Without pads on, Trapilo sure looked the part in spring practices. Now the real football starts, and we’ll see how quickly the rookie can be counted on to protect Williams’ blind side.

Kiran Amegadjie — You’ll be hard-pressed to find someone with a tougher-luck rookie season. No OTAs, minicamp, training camp or preseason, only to get thrust into the lineup on short notice against one of the best defenses in football in prime time and on the road. Amegadjie certainly could still be the long-term swing backup.

Ryan Bates — For some time last spring and summer, he was going to be the one to end the Bears’ drought at center. Or he could’ve started at guard. But Bates had trouble staying on the field and has a $4 million cap hit. It’s worth it if he’s the top backup on the interior. Will he be?

Luke Newman — It might be too much to expect a sixth-round rookie to be the one to make Bates expendable, but Newman’s versatility will be worth watching this summer.

Bill Murray — How would last season have looked if Murray didn’t tear his pec? In limited snaps, he played really well after an impressive summer. Obvious award for best name on the offense.

Doug Kramer — He’s back for Year 4, and two massive flubs last season overshadowed what was a big step forward for him as a center.

Ricky Stromberg — Each year, a player at the bottom of the depth chart elicits a lot of mailbag questions. Stromberg had been that guy before the Dalman signing. He still has potential as a third-rounder.

Chris Glaser — The Honolulu native played in three games last season.

Theo Benedet — An injury ended Benedet’s rookie preseason. He has a great story coming from Canada and some positional versatility.

Jordan McFadden — A 2023 fifth-round pick, McFadden started two games as a rookie for the Chargers.

Joshua Miles — Since entering the league in 2019, Miles has been involved in 28 transactions and appeared in 18 games. Life in the NFL.

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