From Play Caller To Supporting Cast, Bears Loaded For Caleb Williams: The Fantasy Notebook
By Bob Harris - Exclusive to Footballguys
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Time To Roll Up Our Sleeves And Get To Work
With free agency and the NFL Draft behind us, we have plenty of information to advance our understanding of player values. The next step is to use the information we glean from voluntary offseason workout programs, Organized Team Activities (OTAs), and minicamps to further refine our views over the next month and a half.
But there's another critical piece of the player-value puzzle: Offensive coordinators and play callers.
Over the coming weeks, we'll use this space to get a better feel for this year's incoming offensive minds, the coaches who play the most significant role in determining the outcomes for players we invest in. I'll mix in pertinent reports on recoveries from various injuries of interest, depth chart battles, and contract issues of interest as we head towards the drafts that matter most to us late this summer and early fall -- mixing in healthy doses of best ball and Dynasty talk for perspective.
It will be a fun run-up to the NFL and fantasy football seasons. Let's dive in . . .
Getting Coordinated: Johnson, Bears All In On Caleb
Less than one week after being hired as the 19th head coach in Bears history, Ben Johnson named Declan Doyle his offensive coordinator.
Doyle, 28, has coached tight ends with the Denver Broncos since 2023. He spent four seasons at the beginning of his NFL coaching career as an offensive assistant with the New Orleans Saints.
Johnson prioritized finding a coach whose primary responsibility will be helping him game plan for each week's opponent. "The offensive coordinator position is going to have to be somebody that not only I trust but will be extremely detail oriented, organized and structured to set the table and also be willing to work late nights."
Doyle's most recent job in Denver will also help him navigate coaching a young quarterback like Caleb Williams. As tight ends coach, Doyle played a role in developing Broncos rookie quarterback Bo Nix, who helped Denver reach the postseason after ranking in the top 10 in the NFL in points per game.
But let's not get too far off track here . . .
Johnson Is Him
What matters for fantasy investors is that Johnson, fresh off a highly successful three-year run as Detroit's offensive coordinator, will continue to call the plays in Chicago.
Known for his innovative approach, Johnson has coached the Lions to top-10 offenses the past two seasons, leading the league in average points (30.1) and yards (402.2) per game over that span.
In 2024, Detroit scored an NFL-leading 68 touchdowns and ranked second with a franchise-record 409.5 yards per game.
The Athletic's Dianna Russini stated the obvious: "Those are unheard-of numbers in Bears history."
The Bears last finished in the top four in total offense in 1977.
The Bears haven't finished top-four in total offense since 1977 and have cracked the top 10 just once this millennium -- eighth in 2013 under first-time head coach Marc Trestman. Their only top-10 scoring finishes since 2007 came under Trestman and Matt Nagy, both offensive-minded first-time head coaches.
More to the point, the Lions averaged at least 26 points per game in each of Johnson's three seasons at the helm. The Bears have had four such seasons in the entire Super Bowl era (1985, 2006, 2013, and 2018).
But Detroit also had arguably the best offensive line in football last year. Footballguy Matt Bitonti ranked them No. 1 on his final 2024 Offensive Line Rankings.
The Bears? Well, it wasn't that good. Chicago's line came in 29th on Bitonti's list. But we have good news here because . . .
Change Was Necessary
The Bears made a real commitment to rebuilding up front after allowing a league-high 68 sacks last year. They also surrendered the eighth-most QB pressures, and Williams had a 65.9 passer rating when pressured versus a 95.5 rating when not.
They started by improving their interior, including trading for guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. They followed up by signing free-agent center Drew Dalman.
The Bears also drafted offensive tackle Ozzy Trapilo in the second round and guard Luke Newman in the sixth round. Trapilo will likely compete for a starting tackle job, while Newman will serve as key depth at guard and center.
It's been a pretty impressive effort to shore up a unit among the worst in the league last year . . .
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