Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus made the media rounds during the NFL Owners Meetings and was excited about offseason moves.
After a flurry of moves this offseason, there is an air of excitement around the Chicago Bears. General manager Ryan Poles made a lot of big moves and decisions to make sure the team made a big jump in production in the ever-important Year 3 of his rebuild.
Poles has transformed an offense that ranked at or near the bottom for years. He added three offensive linemen, Ryan Bates, Coleman Shelton, and Matt Pryor. They add a center and a lot of depth to a unit that suffered through injuries last season.
Additionally, Poles added D’Andre Swift to the running backs unit. That came ahead of the trade of Justin Fields. Fields led the team in rushing each of the last two seasons so without him, the running backs needed a lot of help.
Poles was not finished, however. He also brought in Pro Bowl wide receiver Keenan Allen and tight end Gerald Everett. He picked those players up in preparation for new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron, who replaced the fired Luke Getsy.
While Poles also made defense moves, the offensive moves attracted all of the attention to the Chicago Bears.
Those moves came ahead of Poles’ biggest move, selecting quarterback Caleb Williams with the top pick in the NFL Draft this April. Some consider Williams a “generational” talent and expect big things.
You can now add Poles and the Chicago Bears who also expect those big things.
Head coach Eberflus is excited about the moves made
One person who could be the beneficiary of a greatly improved offense is head coach Matt Eberflus. He was happy to make it to this point. After 34 losses in two seasons, many thought he was on the hot seat. However, he survived the purge of offensive coaches and got a second chance.
While making the rounds with the media during the NFL Owners Meetings this week, Eberflus spoke about the changes.
We really feel the acquisitions we’ve had so far have been outstanding. The main topic is we added all the skill to the offense. The weapons at running back with Swift and on the outside with Keenan and Everett at tight end paired with DJ [Moore] and Cole [Kmet] are going to be tough to cover. It’s going to be exciting to watch how we put those guys together.
Pairing Allen with D.J. Moore could be huge for the Chicago Bears. They are both similar in that they are elite route-runners and can make big plays in any situation. They will be critical in Williams’ development.
Swift adds a big-play back to the offense. That is a need for the Bears with Fields gone. Khalil Herbert has the same ability but his injury history is concerning. While Swift also has a history of injuries, perhaps he and Herbert could help each other with a reduced workload.
Swift also contributes to the passing game. With the players going out and making plays, Swift can hurt defenses by catching passes out of the backfield. That is just another weapon for Williams.
Everett adds another big target for Williams. That will be important in the red zone. Also, Waldron likes to use a lot of two-tight-end sets so he adds help there. Last season, Cole Kmet was the only tight end who made any impact on the field. Now he has help.
Now Eberflus has a new-look offense that can cause some damage this season. We saw the defense make big strides in 2023. After a dismal start, the defense made a big turnaround. The Bears led the league against the run and in interceptions. Hopefully, they have a full season of success.
It now seems that Eberflus’ seat has cooled off. If Williams succeeds with the new weapons and protection, the Chicago Bears can indeed make the leap Poles expects. That would make Eberflus’ life even better.
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