Allen Robinson has a unique perspective on things compared to other people. He played for the Chicago Bears from 2018 to 2021. He also played for Ben Johnson with the Detroit Lions in 2024. That means the former wide receiver understands how the two sides are trying to mesh. He stated from the beginning that Johnson would be a breath of fresh air at Halas Hall, both with his leadership and offensive genius. That proved true. He also knows a few things about some of the guys Johnson brought in, such as Kalif Raymond.

Chicago added the veteran wide receiver two months ago, trying to fill in the gaps left behind by D.J. Moore and Olamide Zaccheaus. His previous experience in Johnson’s offense made it an easy move, along with his considerable speed and Pro Bowl return ability. However, Robinson believes those weren’t the primary reasons Raymond was brought in. It had more to do with the impact he would have on the locker room, particularly his fellow receivers. Robinson explained on 104.3 The Score.

Allen Robinson just proved again how subtle Johnson can be.

From the outset of his tenure as head coach, Johnson has repeatedly stated that his goal was to get the Bears to a point where everything they did was consistently at a high level. One of his most notable quotes was memed into oblivion.

“We are not chasing labels. We are chasing growth. Consistency will determine everything.”

Then you look at the Bears’ wide receivers last year. As a group, they had 15 official dropped passes, and it was probably more. There were also several instances of guys running the wrong routes, leading to incompletions or even interceptions. For a perfectionist like Johnson, that had to drive him crazy. Coming into this offseason, he had to make a plan to get those issues cleaned up. If coaching alone wouldn’t do it, maybe bringing in someone to hold the other guys accountable would.

That is where Raymond comes in. Johnson knew from years of working together that the receiver is a relentless worker and meticulously detailed in his approach. Combine that with vocal leadership, and it is the perfect solution to the problem. Johnson won’t be able to stay on top of the receivers all the time. Now he won’t have to.

This is a time-tested strategy for head coaches.

There have been many instances of someone taking over a team and recognizing pretty early that players don’t have a keen understanding of the preparation needed to win in the NFL. So rather than just relying on their coaching, they bring in players who live for that grind. Bill Walsh did it with Jack Reynolds in the 1980s. Jimmy Johnson did when trading for Charles Haley in the 1990s. Bill Belichick did it with Anthony Pleasant in the early 2000s. Philadelphia did it with Malcolm Jenkins in the 2010s.

Allen Robinson understands that approach as well as anybody. It was part of the reason why the Bears signed him in 2018. They knew he was a dedicated worker in addition to being so talented. Part of that was because of a bad knee injury earlier in his career. It forced him to become better at his craft. That is something Raymond will look to instill in the younger guys. If he’s successful, this Bears team will become significantly more dangerous than they were last year.

When the Chicago Bears drafted Dillon Thieneman in the 1st round of the 2026 NFL draft, the excitement was palpable. Many felt the team had just secured the next Harrison Smith, a dual-threat safety with elite intelligence. Others felt he was another Jevon Holland, a very good box safety who had the athleticism to play coverage as well. Every comparison centered on standout safeties for obvious reasons. However, coaches at Oregon used him in such a way that the name they dropped was way more ambitious. They saw Brian Urlacher.

In speaking to Phil Thompson of the Chicago Tribune, Ducks defensive coordinator Chris Hampton broke down what Thieneman did for their defense. It was not the traditional role for a safety; it was more a hybrid of safety and middle linebacker.

The Ducks used Thieneman in a variety of ways, taking advantage of his quarterback-like field instincts and downhill speed. But he was primarily a field safety, a rover, in Oregon’s three-safety system.

“He would play a little bit when we got into ‘umbrella” coverage,” Hampton said. “He was what we call our ‘adjuster.’”

That means he played in the middle of the field, but he could cover the slot, too, and various other responsibilities.

“It’s like what the Bears did with Brian Urlacher — highlighted him,” Hampton said. “We (would) just deepen him up about 4 or 5 yards deeper and kept our safeties deep.”

In this context, the comparison is surprisingly valid. Urlacher played a similar role in Lovie Smith’s defense. He manned the middle of the field, attacking the line of scrimmage as a linebacker but also having the speed to drop into coverage. All the while, he’d be constantly reading the offense and making adjustments to counter it.

Dillon Thieneman is not Urlacher.

At least not, in the way everybody might be thinking. He is basically what would’ve happened if the Hall of Famer had more of a safety body than a linebacker body when the Bears drafted him in 2000. People forget Urlacher was a safety in college for New Mexico. However, he was 6’4″ and 258 lbs. Guys that big were made for linebacker, especially in those days. Thieneman is 6’0″ and 201 lbs. He is far more the traditional safety size. Essentially, he has Urlacher’s intelligence and versatility in the body of a safety.

Perhaps a more apt comparison would be Eric Weddle.

Often forgotten, the former six-time Pro Bowler was one of the best safeties of the 2010s decade. He was widely known for his athleticism, versatility, instincts, and intelligence. The guy was a true conductor of the orchestra. San Diego had a top 10 defense three times with him on the back end. Baltimore did it twice in three years when he signed with them. Then, just for good measure, he signed with the Rams late in 2021 and helped their defense hold three of four playoff opponents to 20 points or less. Dillon Thieneman has a chance to be the same type of player.

All of this reinforces the original point.

The Bears made a good draft pick. All teams strive to draft what they call “clean” prospects. These are players who check almost every box and don’t have many glaring weaknesses. Thieneman falls into that category. Athleticism? Check. Size? Check. Production? Check. Intelligence? Check. Any concerns raised by experts leading up to the draft were minor. This doesn’t mean the young safety is guaranteed to become a great player. It is that his odds are much more favorable than those of typical prospects.

What we know for sure is that Dennis Allen’s defense tends to be at its best when it has a player like him on the back end. You saw it briefly with Brian Dawkins in Denver, and then with Malcolm Jenkins and Tyrann Mathieu in New Orleans. There is a reason Chicago felt so comfortable taking Thieneman. Players like that tend to become multipliers on the field, having an impact beyond just their position. It was that way with Urlacher.

If you asked fans or local media members what the Chicago Bears‘ biggest need was going into the 2026 NFL draft, a large majority of them probably would’ve said edge rusher. Outside of Montez Sweat last year, the Bears were painfully ineffective at that position. Austin Booker missed half of the season with a knee injury. Dayo Odeyingbo tore his Achilles and missed 11 games. Shemar Turner tore his ACL and wasn’t overly effective even before that. Everything pointed to this draft being the one where the Bears had to find help.

So you can imagine the sheer confusion when not only did they not take one in the 1st round, they didn’t take one at all. The only defensive line addition made in the entire draft was 6th round pick Jordan Van Den Berg, a defensive tackle from Georgia Tech. The initial belief is that the board never offered a good opportunity for the Bears to pounce. That is partially true. However, another part of it, according to Adam Hoge of CHGO, is that the team had been particularly ruthless in whittling down the list of options they liked in this class.

“This was probably the most aggressive we were in terms of the guys that we really like. They have to play our style. They’ve gotta have the right makeup. In terms of our scheme fits, all of that had to be there. If it wasn’t there, you’re off the board. We were really aggressive with it, so when you look at it, it feels really thin, but that’s a good thing.”

In other words, the Bears’ draft board was smaller this year. And from my understanding, that held particularly true on the defensive line – including the defensive tackles.

Things finally make sense about the Chicago Bears’ draft approach.

Poles was pretty specific in mentioning those three categories: style, makeup, and scheme fit. When you start digging into what he means and apply it to the available information on this draft class, everything starts lining up. Let’s start with style. From what we know about defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, his #1 priority for his defensive ends is stopping the run. They must be able to set the edge. Unfortunately, several prominent names in the class were noted for having problems doing that.

Next, we have the right makeup. Poles and head coach Ben Johnson have said on several occasions that they want players with high character. They must be good teammates, great workers, and passionate about the game. Some in the class checked that box with flying colors. Unfortunately, a few of the more notable names did not.

Lastly, there is scheme fit.

Another key with Allen is that his defensive ends always tend to fit the same mold. They must be at least 6’4″, 260 lbs, and have 33-inch arms. That pool was noticeably light this year. Many of the prominent options in this class either didn’t have the necessary height/length or weight.

Each category on its own would trim the board down. So you can imagine what happens when the Chicago Bears combined all three together. There was probably a very small box of players they would’ve considered, which drastically decreased the odds of picking one, what with 31 other teams also hunting for edge rush help. While it is still disappointing that the team wasn’t able to address the position, at least now we have context for why they didn’t.

The Chicago Bears traded for Garrett Bradbury in March, sending a 5th round pick to the New England Patriots for the veteran center. It was easy to understand. Their original starter, Drew Dalman, had abruptly retired at age 27, leaving the team in a compromised position. Not wanting to get into a free-agent bidding war, they made the deal to gain some much-needed stability. Still, it didn’t completely solve the problem. Bradbury is in his 30s and has one year left on his contract. That gave the Bears two options.

Either they extend him, or they go hunting for an eventual replacement in the draft.

They chose option #2, selecting Iowa center Logan Jones with the 57th pick in the 2nd round. Initial expectations were clear. Bradbury would be the starter this upcoming season while Jones prepared to replace him in 2027. However, some wonder if it stays that way. Mike Sando of The Athletic spoke to people inside the league. All agree that Jones is the exact duplicate of Bradbury. Rather than forestall things, maybe the better option is to turn around and trade the veteran to another team that needs a center.

Two months after trading a fifth-round pick to New England for center Garrett Bradbury, the Bears used their second-round pick on Logan Jones, the first center drafted. Both players are centers only, meaning it’s unlikely both would be active for a game. Might the Bears eventually trade Bradbury to a center-needy team such as Baltimore? Or, will this be a redshirt season for Jones?

“They’re the same guy: both undersized, tough technicians,” another exec said.

Flipping Garrett Bradbury does make sense.

For one, it gives the Bears a chance to get their pick back. While it is unlikely to be a 5th round like what they gave up, it would still be something. Chicago only has six picks next year. Anything extra would be helpful. Besides, this isn’t a normal rookie situation with Jones. He isn’t some kid fresh out of his teens, still learning the position. He started 51 games for Iowa in his career. He’ll be 25 later this year. This young man is more than ready to play immediately. Why waste one of his seasons making him wait?

The one argument against such an idea would be concerns about depth. Having two capable centers is never a bad thing, especially with how attritional the NFL can be. Regardless of who starts, the Bears would have someone capable ready to step in. Much of this comes down to the team’s opinion of undrafted rookie Jaren Kump. He was the pivot man for a very good Utah offensive line. Like Jones, he is highly experienced, having started 41 games in college. Though athletically limited, he has good power and technique. If they think he has the capability to step in as a backup, trading Garrett Bradbury gains more credence.

The Bears likely won’t make a decision until June.

They will want to see how Jones looks in spring practices between minicamps and Organized Team Activities. If he settles in quickly and develops a rapport with Caleb Williams, that might be the catalyst for a Bradbury trade. The key here is that another team would likely want to bring the veteran in before training camp, which begins in late July. The Bears have until around that time to decide which direction they wish to go. It might not be ideal from Bradbury’s point of view, but he would be on board if the alternative is him sitting behind Jones.

Either choice is a win for the Bears in the end. Keeping Bradbury ensures they have multiple options at a key offensive position. Trading him returns some draft currency for next year that they can hopefully use to keep improving the roster. This falls into the jurisdiction of head coach Ben Johnson. If he’d be more comfortable having two options, then that is how it will be. Otherwise, don’t be surprised if Ryan Poles finds a buyer by summertime.

The Chicago Bears‘ 2026 draft class is best described as…unorthodox. Things started with clear intent. They selected Oregon safety Dillon Thieneman in the 1st round, finding that second starter next to Coby Bryant they were missing. Then, in the 2nd round, they secured their center of the future with Iowa’s Logan Jones. Nothing crazy so far. That abruptly changed in the 3rd round. After trading down to the #69 spot, general manager Ryan Poles delivered a shocker by taking Stanford tight end Sam Roush.

Initial reactions were utter confusion. A tight end? Why? The Bears already drafted Colston Loveland in the 1st round last year. They still had Cole Kmet. Sure, they’d lost Durham Smythe to free agency, but he’d been a cheap addition anyway. It shouldn’t be that hard to replace him. Spending a higher pick on a third tight end defied conventional wisdom. Mike Sando of The Athletic went searching for answers, and the feedback from other teams helped paint a picture of what the Bears are doing. Those other teams aren’t happy about it.

“Chicago was really good in the run game this past year, and to get Roush to play tight end, damn, they are going to be able to run some strong-side runs,” a third said. “This guy can block all the defensive ends.”

Sam Roush enhances one of the team’s biggest strengths.

Last season, the Bears ranked 3rd in rushing across the NFL. They did this without a true #1 running back, instead utilizing the talents of D’Andre Swift and Kyle Monangai, and excellent blocking up front. Anybody who has watched Ben Johnson’s system over the years will know that tight ends play a key role in that execution. They are the ones who help spring guys to the outside, creating big-play opportunities. Now they’re adding perhaps the best blocking tight end in the entire draft class.

If Roush can block opposing defensive ends, it frees up their tackles to either double-team a defensive tackle or spring to the second level to pick off a linebacker or defensive back. That means more holes, and more holes mean more chunk plays. Nothing is more demoralizing to defense than being physically bullied at the line of scrimmage. Roush specializes in that. He’s basically an offensive lineman with the frame and speed of a tight end. The vision is pretty clear.

The Bears basically added Marcedes Lewis.

Fans will remember the ageless veteran spent two years in Chicago trying to help the team during a rebuild. While he was no longer the solid pass-catching threat he’d been in his younger days, he remained a very good blocker who helped the team finish 2nd in rushing in 2023. Now, think about what would happen if the Bears got the young version of him coming out of college. That is what Sam Roush is.

He is almost exactly the same size at 6’6″, 267 lbs. His blocking is strong and technically proficient. Even crazier is that he is a better athlete than Lewis was.

This doesn’t mean Roush is destined for a 20-year career, but it doesn’t indicate the Bears got way more value with that pick than people realize. Lewis was a 1st round pick. If people want a taste of what he’ll do in Ben Johnson’s offense, go watch Lewis from 2019 through 2022 when he was with the Green Bay Packers.

It was a perfect marriage of scheme and player. Johnson’s system, at least in the running game, is very similar. That Packers team reached two NFC championships. Lewis was a big part of why. Roush will be the same if he carries over what he was becoming in college.