The Chicago Bears knew they had to get the offensive coordinator hire right after dismissing Luke Getsy. With a change likely coming at quarterback, the team needed somebody they could trust to get the most out of whomever they draft. After a long search encompassing nine candidates, the team pinpointed their man in former Seattle Seahawks offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. It made sense. He had three years of proven play calling experience, during which he got productive seasons from both Russell Wilson and Geno Smith. He also came from the Shanahan/McVay coaching tree, meaning he’d maintain some similarities to the wide-zone system Getsy ran.
Still, fans aren’t sure what he brings to the table that will be a significant improvement. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reached out to an NFL scout on the subject. His answer was enlightening.
Waldron is a good play caller. You can wonder if he worked for a head coach that didn’t allow him to really open it up. Is he going to encounter the same thing with Matt Eberflus, another defensive head coach? Maybe.
“The run game is at the foundation of what McVay does. It creates a lot of formational variance, there’s a lot of misdirection and motion and all of that builds out to the passing game. McVay has transitioned to more of a gap scheme running the ball. (Waldron is) going to need athletic linemen, and the Bears have some of those.”
A lot of folks are wondering how Waldron’s offense will differ from what the Bears did under Luke Getsy, who had similar roots. It’s possible there could be more pre-snap movement, but we won’t know that for a while. The Seahawks really struggled to run the ball this season, but a lot of that can be attributed to a rash of injuries on the offensive line.
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One thing teams didn’t use a lot of a few years ago was motion at the snap. That has changed significantly, going from a 4% average to a 22% average. This past year, Waldron’s Seahawks ranked seventh among the league leaders in this approach. It should be noted that five of the teams in the top 10 of this category also happen to rank in the top seven of total offense this year.
Shane Waldron doesn’t mind thinking outside the box.
One thing he became known for in Seattle was a willingness to experiment. He’d try all sorts of innovative formations and play calls, testing the limits of what he could achieve. It got positive results quite often. He was sometimes hampered by personnel issues, especially along the offensive line. The hope is he will have a more capable roster in Chicago as GM Ryan Poles looks to keep enhancing the talent available. This offensive line is already an improvement over what Waldron had in Seattle. It’s far better equipped to run his style of offense.
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The next step is determining who his quarterback will be. Considering Shane Waldron was viewed as one of the best offensive coordinators available, it stands to reason the Bears managed to nab him because they had a quarterback scenario that appealed to him. Rumors have circulated for weeks that they plan to draft somebody #1 overall and that somebody will be Caleb Williams. If Waldron can harness the USC star’s immense talents, this franchise will become a force soon.
