The Chicago Bears pieced together one of their largest undrafted free agency classes in years earlier this month. Plenty of names signed up for the chance to fight for a roster spot this summer. After seeing what happened with Jahdae Walker last season, one could understand why many of them are hopeful to follow the same path. What stood out the most was how much money the Bears threw around. They aren’t usually known for handing out huge contracts to undrafted rookies, but a couple were near the NFL record for the most ever given to such players. One of them went to Caden Barnett.
The Wyoming guard, affectionately known as the Vanilla Gorilla, was among the select group of players who surprisingly went undrafted. Most saw him as a 5th or 6th round prospect. Landing him was a major boon for the Bears, who needed more interior offensive line depth. The tricky part was convincing him to come to Chicago. Several teams were interested in his services. The Bears needed a way to close the deal. Based on new footage from 1920 Football Drive, an unlikely hero stepped up.
Assistant offensive line coach Kyle DeVan was tasked with calling and recruiting Barnett. It appears he was successful, as scouts and fellow coaches celebrated when the rookie said yes.
Connecting DeVan with Caden Barnett was brilliant by the Bears.
While Dan Roushar is the team’s offensive line coach, DeVan has far more experience in the college ranks. He was the offensive line coach for Ball State, Arizona, Colorado, Charlotte, and Oregon State. In that time, he did a lot of recruiting for every program. That gives you plenty of experience communicating with young players and learning what they want or need to hear. If anybody was equipped to handle those delicate talks with Barnett, it was him. He got the job done.
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The Bears haven’t been shy in their praise of DeVan. Head coach Ben Johnson has said on more than one occasion that they have two of the best offensive line coaches in the business. That is pretty high praise. Everybody knew about Roushar. They’re just starting to learn about DeVan. His impact last season was certainly felt as the offensive line took a major leap forward, allowing just 24 sacks and paving the way for the #3 rushing attack in the league.
Barnett chose his spot well.
He couldn’t have asked for a better developmental program to enter. Not only does he get to work with Roushar and DeVan, but he’ll also play for Ben Johnson. Those three coaches are excellent at coaching up offensive linemen. If Caden Barnett has anything to offer the NFL, the Bears are the team most equipped to find out. His opportunity may not be too far off. Age is becoming a topic of discussion for this team at both of their guard positions. Joe Thuney turns 34 in November. Jonah Jackson isn’t far from his 30s either.
There is no telling when Thuney may choose to retire or when Jackson succumbs to his occasional health issues. If Barnett has put himself in a primary backup position this summer, he’ll be in a great spot to potentially earn playing time at some point. He certainly has the nastiness, toughness, and power base to fit what the Bears do offensively. He’ll need to polish up his pass protection over the coming months. If he listens to the coaches, that shouldn’t be a huge issue.
