General manager Ryan Poles and the Chicago Bears have set Caleb Williams up on a launch pad of sorts, ahead of the quarterback’s second NFL season.
On the heels of a disappointing rookie season where Williams never got onto the same page with receivers D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze while facing a barrage of pressure on his way to being sacked 68 times and working alongside two different offensive coordinators, the former No. 1 overall pick not only had a new offensive-minded head coach but a revamped supporting cast awaiting him in 2025.
From free agency through the NFL Draft, the Bears have been laser-focused on fixing the offense and setting Williams up to make a major leap in 2025, culminating with a draft class that is garnering high praise among analysts across the nation.
NFL Media’s Gennaro Filice suggests is a big fan of the Bears’ offseason, overall.
“Caleb Williams is enjoying a fine 2025,” Filice writes for NFL Media.” First, the Bears landed the hottest name of this head-coaching cycle in offensive guru Ben Johnson. Then Ryan Poles aggressively overhauled the interior offensive line via trade/free agency. And in the draft, Chicago spent its first two picks on a mismatch tight end (Colston Loveland) and a YAC receiver (Luther Burden III). Adding those two playmakers to a pass-catching group that already includes DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Cole Kmet, the Bears have given their second-year quarterback a cache of weapons he can grow with.
“Oh, and for good measure, Chicago scooped up a towering tackle with NFL bloodlines (Ozzy Trapilo) for depth and development up front. Now, new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen might feel like he got the short end of the stick, but I do think the Bears got a quality DT at No. 62 (Shemar Turner) and took a worthwhile late-round chance on a size/speed corner (Zah Frazier).”
While there could be potential growing pains for an offensive line that will be fielding as many as four new starters–should Trapilo win a starting job this summer, there is little doubt that the Bears significantly improved the offensive line and perhaps dramatically upgraded Williams’ supporting cast this offseason.
If Williams does his part and the incoming talent lives up to its pedigree, the Bears could be a team to watch to make major strides this fall.
Why Chicago Bears’ NFL Draft class ranked among league’s best
© Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK
One of the biggest reasons for optimism for the Bears, and for Williams, this season is the arrival of tight end Colston Loveland and an NFL Draft class that was seemingly collected with boosting Chicago’s young quarterback in mind.
Filice ranked all 32 NFL Draft classes, with the Bears ranked third in the league, including Loveland as his favorite piack that Chicago made over draft weekend.
“Despite the fact that Tyler Warren topped Loveland on most analysts’ boards and mock drafts,” Filice writes. “I stubbornly stuck to the opinion that the Michigan product would come off the board first, presuming some teams would value his route artistry over Warren’s throwback game. So, yes, this is my favorite pick because it made me feel smart. But also because it’s easy to envision Johnson deploying Loveland in a similar manner to how he utilized Sam LaPorta in Detroit.”
Loveland’s ability to create mismatches over the middle could make him an ideal fit for what Johnson does best and could make him an instant impact contributor in Williams’ supporting cast.
Given that Johnson’s system thrives on two-tight-end sets, Loveland’s arrival and pairing him alongside Cole Kmet not only has the potential to throw Chicago’s playbook wide open but could set Williams up for success because he’ll have two security blankets in a pair of reliable tight ends.
Chicago Bears’ offensive line addition named best NFL Draft value
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