People always talk about the Chicago Bears’ woes at quarterback. They don’t reference enough how bad they’ve also had it at wide receiver over the years. Something always seems to go wrong when they end up with a player who looks like they should end up becoming the new face in the team’s all-time record books. Curtis Conway ran into injury setbacks after two excellent years in 1994 and 1995. Marcus Robinson saw a promising start destroyed by a knee injury. Marty Booker got traded just as he was peaking. Brandon Marshall self-destructed. Alshon Jeffery suffered nagging injuries and left as a free agent. Allen Robinson fell off a cliff. The quarterback woes didn’t help any of them either. Rome Odunze hopes to be different.
It is crazy to imagine how small the mountain for him to climb is. So small that he couldn’t believe what he was hearing from Parkins & Spiegel on 670 The Score when they told him what the record was.
Morris was the Bears’ 12th-round pick in 1958. He played ten years in the league but didn’t really become a focal point in the passing game until his fourth season. His 5,059 yards have inexplicably remained the benchmark for receivers in team history. You can understand Odunze’s befuddlement. Most good receivers today can cross 5,000 yards by their fourth season.
Rome Odunze should cross that mark before his 30th birthday.
Presuming he stays healthy and is as good as many believe. The 9th overall pick has drawn comparisons to Larry Fitzgerald and Davante Adams. He has size, strength, speed, and sharp route-running ability. He also has the best hands in the draft. If Caleb Williams can put the ball in his vicinity, he’s going to catch it almost without fail. The only tricky part is how many times he’ll be getting the football. Don’t forget he will have to share it with D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Cole Kmet.
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He won’t be the only one targeting that record, either. Moore is only 26 years old, and he likely has plans to take it down as well. He had over 1300 yards last season, so he’s well on his way. Rome Odunze is in a great spot. He doesn’t have to face the pressure of carrying a heavy workload right away. The Bears can bring him along at a pace he’s comfortable with while the established veterans do their thing. Either way, his reaction told the whole story.
Rashied Davis, Bernard Berrian, Earl Bennett…
It’s hard to even contain my excitement about this dude. I’m a huge CW fan.. but he is 1b to my man crush on Odunze. This dude has the mentality to be great. He is the ideal Chicago Bears WR. He will bring it 110% everyyy fk’n Sunday. He and CW are going to be one hell of a pairing over the years. Can’t wait! What a draft night that was!
Upon reflection, WR Harlon Hill was my grandfather’s fave.
“Little Johnny Morris” came up big in games. He deserved more receiving. He and Bill George were my father’s favorite Bears.