It has become pretty clear what the Chicago Bears’ agenda was when they fired Luke Getsy. Whoever the next offensive coordinator would be, he had to be somebody they could trust with the development of a young quarterback. GM Ryan Poles seems dead set on taking one in the upcoming NFL draft. All signs point to that being Caleb Williams. So the hire was an important one. After careful consideration of nine candidates, Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus settled on Shane Waldron.
The 44-year-old had just concluded three productive years with the Seattle Seahawks, where he got credible seasons from both Russell Wilson and Geno Smith. Still, he has never embarked on the challenge of dealing with a rookie before. If Williams is the pick, his approach will have to be different from how he handled two veterans. Adam Jahns of The Athletic reached out for reactions from people around the NFL. The general consensus is the Bears chose wisely in their staff revamp.
Should the Bears start over with Williams, or any rookie quarterback, they hope to have a better situation both in the locker room and with the coaching staff. Two league sources praised the additions of Shane Waldron and Thomas Brown to the Bears’ offensive staff, and they echoed what we’ve heard from Eberflus — that this group will be more adaptable. Scheme-wise, one thing to expect is lots of motion.
One of the sources also cited offensive line coach and running game coordinator Chris Morgan as being well-respected in the league and considered a big part of what the Bears hope to build.
Shane Waldron does something good coaches must.
One thing that was apparent during his time in Seattle was his ability to mold the system to his quarterback’s strengths. He identified where Wilson and Smith were most comfortable and crafted plays that worked to that. At the same time, he was cognisant to also smoothing out their weaknesses. Both players had a bad tendency to hold the ball too long on their drops. Waldron found ways to get them to throw on time more often, leading to fewer sacks and better offensive rhythm. This is important because Williams is said to have similar issues.
While his improvisational skills are second to none in this class, he also has a tendency to play hero ball. This leads to too many sacks and fumbles. Shane Waldron already has experience dealing with such challenges. That means he will know exactly how to approach them. That is one reason why experts around the NFL believe this could be a productive pairing. Waldron chose the Bears’ job for a reason. It is possible he saw the Williams pick coming. That means he will be well-prepared.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
@DrJB, Well said, I love the comparison of ‘flus and Fields.
@DrJB About your first comment on the coaching staff, I feel that’s exactly what they are doing. Firstly, I think they brought in Waldron because he’s willing to work with both Justin or a new guy and they think he’ll have success with both. But I feel that they will stick with Justin and get those picks. Both Warren and Poles have voiced how important it is to build brick by brick. As for Eberflus, I don’t question Eberflus as a leader. He kept the locker room together throughout last year and Montez Sweat came in and immediately bought into… Read more »
@jmscooby I like the Houston comparison for one big difference from the Bears. They have a very good head coach and offensive coordinator. The Bears had very bad head coach and abysmal OC. Now the Bears might have a good OC, which still has to be proven, but they kept the garbage head coach. Fields is better at QB than Eberflues is as coach. Those defensive collapses last year came with Eberflues calling the plays. Houston has much better coaches than the Bears. That makes a big difference.
I guess it’s better than being a “Peterman”. I agree with moving JF, I’m just saying, the return may not be as much as many perceive. I honestly have no idea what that will be, but he has to be moved, for sure.
FWIW, NE radio was talking today about a possible 5th from Minn for Mac Jones. All just speculation, just sharing the gossip.
@jmscooby – LOL on being labeled a Caleb bobo. I think some folks think I’m a Fields bobo, so I understand. We definitely agree on needing a vet safety. I think we can’t go too young in the secondary all at once if we want to be serious contenders. Someone back there needs to have seen everything and every QB and receiver and be able to guide the other guys. I was thinking along the lines of adding young depth. We have Jon Hoke who has proven his ability to develop young DBs, so I’d look at leveraging that skill.… Read more »