Coming out of the rookie minicamps last week, it seemed like the Chicago Bears were content with adding only one player to the roster as they prepare for the next phase of spring practices next month. That was veteran wide receiver Scotty Miller, who looked sharp across two days of work. It made sense. Chicago’s receiving corps got a lot younger this offseason with the departures of D.J. Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus, while rookie Zavion Thomas arrived via the draft. Miller, along with Kalif Raymond, would give them some much-needed experience.

So you can imagine the surprise when news came down the pipeline that the Bears had not only signed three other players in addition to Miller, but also saw one of their undrafted free agents abruptly retire. The three names included undrafted wide receiver Kyron Hudson, undrafted linebacker Wayne Matthews III, and veteran linebacker Jon Rhattigan. Conversely, Florida State wide receiver Squirrel White chose to retire after minicamps concluded. The only information available on that is that he left the field with a trainer at one point, indicating he must’ve suffered an injury.

Either it was serious enough to be career-ending, or it was enough to convince him that football was no longer worth it. Regardless, it helps explain why the Bears looked to add some extra bodies at wide receiver.

The purpose of these Chicago Bears moves is easy to see.

Hudson wasn’t brought in because the team felt he was overlooked. In truth, he had a rather unremarkable college career, serving as a third- or fourth-option for most of it. The primary reasoning for his addition is his relationship with Caleb Williams. The two were teammates for two years in 2022 and 2023. Hudson caught five touchdowns during that period. It feels like the Bears wanted to bring in someone Williams is familiar with, helping make the long training camp grind more comfortable later this year.

As for Matthews III and Rhattigan, the intent is more straightforward. They are special teams additions. Rhattigan has carved out a nice career as a special teams player, collecting 28 tackles in the last five seasons. The Bears are always looking for contributors on that front. Matthews III always showed potential in those areas, posting seven tackles in just ten games in 2022 alone. No doubt special teams coordinator Richard Hightower saw enough to add them to the mix for July.

This is where Ryan Poles deserves some credit.

While the Bears’ general manager has his faults, one thing you can’t say is that he ignores the special teams. He has been great about consistently feeding that unit with dependable players since he took over in 2022. Josh Blackwell, Daniel Hardy, Elijah Hicks, Jonathan Owens, Jaylon Jones, and Carl Jones Jr. were all additions he made with that in mind. It is nice to see he hasn’t shirked that responsibility. After all, the Bears don’t make the playoffs last year without some huge plays on special teams.

At first glance, Rhattigan is probably the name to watch out for in that group. He has the most experience and plays a position at which the Chicago Bears could use some depth. Miller has a good chance to win a roster spot on offense, though he may have to show some special teams value as well. All of this is a reminder that roster-building isn’t exclusive to just the draft and free agency. Good teams constantly churn the bottom of the depth chart, looking for help everywhere.

Something changed last year with the Chicago Bears. Most believed it was simply the arrival of head coach Ben Johnson on his staff, breathing some much-needed urgency into a deflated building. That was partly true. There is no question that the laser-focused coach set the tone from the moment he walked through the doors. However, another shift wasn’t noticed until a few months later. It took place during the NFL draft. Chicago, much to the surprise of onlookers, took players at positions that weren’t deemed glaring needs. A tight end? A wide receiver? It didn’t make sense, but it was all part of the plan. Dennis Allen just confirmed it.

When he arrived alongside Johnson last year, there was a consensus among everybody in the building that the scouting process had to change. For too long, the Bears were focused on how physically gifted players were and whether they filled a key roster need. Allen revealed in his recent presser that such an approach was no viable. Moving forward, there would be less of a focus on player measurables and more on on-field performance. Tape and football character will drive the draft process.

“We’re looking for smart players, we’re looking for tough players, we’re looking for highly competitive players,” Allen said. “There was a decrease in ‘what’s the 40 time, what’s the height, what’s the weight, what’s the athletic movement skills?’ And it was, ‘Are they above the line athletically?’ Alright, and then let’s watch the tape and let’s let their football character bleed off the tape. Every one of our players that you look at, they have great football character, and it bled off of the tape at us.”

Dennis Allen finally admitted what had been speculated for a while.

This pretty much confirms that Johnson is now guiding the talent-acquisition process. Between 2022 and 2024, when it was clearly general manager Ryan Poles who ran the show, the focus was on physical upside. That isn’t shocking. NFL scouts, by nature, focus on such things. They become enamored with what a player can become. Coaches, by contrast, are more interested in who a player is. Upside is important, sure, but they don’t like taking gambles on guys who haven’t shown much of anything on tape.

It was much the same this year. Dillon Thieneman checked the athletic boxes to be sure, but it was his excellent film from his final season at Oregon that swayed the Bears to leave their comfort zone. Remember, they hadn’t drafted a safety in the 1st round in 36 years. Logan Jones, a 25-year-old center, went in the 2nd round because he started 51 games at a top program and oozed the type of football passion the team craved. Dennis Allen made sure this approach stayed the course with Malik Muhammad and Keyshaun Elliott in the 4th and 5th rounds as well.

It is possible Allen wasn’t on board with this at first.

If you look back at the 2025 draft, it felt like the Bears leaned a bit more into the physical upside approach. That was certainly the case with linebacker Ruben Hyppolite and cornerback Zah Frazier. Now one is a little more than a special teams backup, and the other was just cut. Such setbacks may have pushed the veteran coordinator to shift more towards Johnson’s way of thinking. Already, there is serious buzz building around Thieneman and Muhammad in rookie minicamps.

The harsh truth is that the upside strategy only works if you have two things: an excellent coaching staff and a roster full of established veterans who could show the young guys how to be professionals. The Bears had neither through those first three years of Poles’ tenure. Rather than double down on it after Johnson arrived, the team chose to focus more on strong tape and productivity. The result was one of their best draft classes in years in 2025. If they find similar success in 2026, this team is poised for big things.

The Chicago Bears didn’t get cute with their 25th overall pick in the 2026 NFL draft. Head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles had agreed since they started working together that they would always take the best player on the board. Position didn’t matter. Get the best talent possible and worry about the rest later. When the Bears went on the clock, Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman stuck out. Many had expected he’d be gone somewhere between picks 12 and 18. His still being available was a surprise. The Bears didn’t need to think about it long, turning the card in.

It marked the first time the team had taken a safety in the 1st round since 1990. Their justification for it was fairly straightforward. Thieneman had good size for his position and is an elite athlete. His 4.35 speed shows up on tape constantly. He demonstrated a great mix of intelligence, instincts, and physicality. However, one thing that sometimes went overlooked about him was his leadership. It is rare for a safety to be the semi-quarterback of a defense, but Thieneman played that role for Oregon. Based on what Herb Howard of The Bigs saw at rookie minicamps, he’s already doing the same for the Bears.

Dillon Thieneman thrives as an adjuster.

His college coaches compared him to Brian Urlacher. Though not a linebacker, he was that guy who could read what an offense was doing pre-snap and get everybody lined up in the right spot. It was a big reason why Oregon had the 12th-ranked defense in the country in 2025, including 4th against the pass. The Bears have had some good safeties over the past several years. Recently departed Kevin Byard was one. Eddie Jackson and Adrian Amos were the other two. However, none of them ever established themselves as that vocal leader everybody listened to.

The last player who fit that role for the Bears was probably Mike Brown. While Urlacher may have been the pillar around which the team was built, he repeatedly insisted that Brown was the real brains behind the defense. You saw it all the time during his peak years from 2001 to 2005, as he constantly communicated to teammates where the ball was going. When he was healthy, the defense was elite. It is why the injuries that shortened his career were so difficult to accept. Thieneman appears built for that same role.

Thieneman wants that leadership role.

People must understand that this is not normal. Rookies almost never move to take over command of a unit so quickly. They’re in a new environment and trying to process tons of new information. Most are content to hover in the background, stay quiet, and do their jobs. The leadership thing can come later. Not for Dillon Thieneman. Like any self-respecting control freak, he can’t feel at home unless he’s conducting the orchestra. The pressure of that responsibility doesn’t even register with him. It is as natural as breathing.

We can talk about the speed, athleticism, and ball skills all day. What will likely make Thieneman a great player in Chicago is the thirst to be that voice. He commands attention and is willing to accept blame when things go wrong. You don’t always find that in safeties, let alone rookies. It is another reminder that the Bears made the right decision by taking him despite grumblings about positional value.