Tag: bears news

Bears sign former Broncos running back to practice squad

The Bears signed former Broncos third-round draft pick Royce Freeman to their practice squad.

Former Denver Broncos running back Royce Freeman has found a new home in the NFL.

Freeman (6-0, 238 pounds) has signed with the Chicago Bears’ practice squad, according to multiple reports. He joins a backfield in Chicago that includes D’Andre Swift, Roschon Johnson, Travis Homer and Darrynton Evans.

Freeman entered the league as a third-round pick out of Oregon with the Broncos in 2018. He spent the first three years of his career in Denver, rushing 297 times for 1,187 yards and eight touchdowns in 46 games (eight starts). The Broncos cut Freeman ahead of the 2021 season and he landed with the Carolina Panthers.

After half a season with the Panthers, Freeman joined the Houston Texans. He appeared in 11 games with the Texans from 2021-2022 and then signed with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023. He rushed 77 times for 319 yards and two touchdowns in 14 games with the Rams last fall.

Freeman went to training camp with the Dallas Cowboys this summer and he spent time on the practice squad of the Cleveland Browns earlier this season. The 28-year-old running back will now get a fresh start with the Bears.

Freeman has 2,324 career yards from scrimmage and 11 touchdowns on his resume.

[vertical-gallery id=620142]

Kyle Shanahan raves about Chicago Bears rookie QB Caleb Williams

San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan raved about Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.

The 2024 season certainly hasn’t gone how Chicago Bears fans were hoping it might with rookie quarterback and recent No. 1 overall draft pick Caleb Williams taking over.

Chicago enters its Week 14 date at San Francisco sporting a disappointing 4-8 record and riding a six-game losing streak.

The stretch of futility and the embarrassing finish to its 23-20 Thanksgiving Day loss at the Detroit Lions resulted in the Bears firing head coach Matt Eberflus. It probably didn’t help matters that a record-setting 37.5 million viewers tuned in to watch Eberflus and the Bears bungle those final seconds.

As Williams and the Bears navigate early turbulence in his career, San Francisco 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan had plenty of good things to say about the young Chicago signal-caller.

“As talented as there is. The stuff that you saw in college, you can see in the NFL. As good of a thrower as there is, born to play the position, got the athletic ability to do whatever, he’s got the speed to do whatever.

“He’s gotten a lot of playing time, he’s getting better as this year goes, I think he’s getting a lot more consistent. I think he’s been playing his best ball probably here the last few weeks. He’s put them in a chance to win here in these last few games there,” Shanahan said of Williams.

Williams is completing 61.6% of his passes and has thrown for 2,612 yards and 14 touchdowns against five interceptions. Each of Chicago’s past three defeats have come against NFC North divisional foes and each have been determined by one score.

For Williams’ part, he says the early adversity in his career will help he and the Bears longterm.

“I think this is a stepping-stone of development, to be able to have all of this in my first year. I wouldn’t say that I’m happy for it. Having these moments is definitely something that will help me in the future.

“Having these situational moments that it’s hard to rep in practice, having some of these moments, having your coach fired or coaches fired, and people being promoted. You know, things like that all happening within a couple weeks of each other, you know I think it would help me in the long run being able to handle all of this, handle this first year and being able to grow from it,” Williams said.

Thomas Brown is serving as the Chicago Bears’ interim head coach.

As Williams and Co. stroll into town, San Francisco (5-7) is looking to snap its own three-game skid when the Bears come calling to Levi’s Stadium. Kickoff is set for 1:25 p.m. PT and the game will be televised on Fox.

Why Leonard Fournette isn’t a good option for the Bears

While Leonard Fournette still might have some left in the tank, the Bears don’t make sense as a landing spot for the free agent RB.

NFL veteran running back Lenoard Fournette is looking for his next NFL home, according to ESPN insider Adam Schefter. He intends to sign with a team before the season, claiming that he’s in the best shape of his career. We’ve all heard the famous line before.

While the Chicago Bears are always looking to improve at every position, they need to stay away from a signing like this right now. With newcomer D’Andre Swift on board and the returns of Khalil Herbert and Roschon Johnson, there is no reason to consider spending money on a running back. That is especially true for a running back currently in the situation that Fournette is in.

“Leonard’s in the best shape of his career and I expect he will have a new home soon,” Fournette’s agent Ari Nissim told Schefter.

Fournette played the first three years of his career with the Jacksonville Jaguars before spending the next three years with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. With the Bucs, he was a big part of winning the Super Bowl alongside Tom Brady. That’s some nice experience to bring to the table, but it isn’t worth it for Chicago.

Last year, Fournette appeared in two games with the Buffalo Bills. He totaled 12 carries for 40 yards and never found his way into the endzone. It isn’t the most promising situation of all time.

While Fournette still might have some left in the tank, the Bears don’t make sense as a landing spot, especially considering their focus should be adding another pass rusher to the roster.

Will Bears rookie Rome Odunze serve as punt returner in 2024?

Bears rookie Rome Odunze is in contention to be the team’s primary punt returner this season.

There are a lot of things to like about Chicago Bears rookie Rome Odunze. The ninth overall pick is a great receiver that the team hopes can be another great weapon for the offense. 

Of course, a lot of the discourse surrounding Odunze revolves around how he’ll play with fellow rookie Caleb Williams on the offensive side of the ball. With Keenan Allen, DJ Moore, Cole Kmet, and D’Andre Swift around him, he should be able to hit the ground running. Scoring points should be no problem in 2024, as long as Williams does his job well. 

There is another aspect of Odunze’s game that could also help the Bears: his punt return ability, which he showcased briefly during his time at Washington.

“Rome is an every-down player,” Bears special teams coordinator Richard Hightower said. “Rome’s a first-down player, a second-down player, a third-down player and a fourth-down player. He had three returns on the books and one of those three returns was a house call.”

Despite not having primarily served as a punt returner in college, Odunze is in contention to serve as Chicago’s primary punt returner. Hightower wouldn’t say that Odunze is the favorite for the job, but he’s in the mix. It wouldn’t be shocking at all to see him win that job. 

“He’s in contention, just like everybody else,” Hightower said. “Best man will win, cream rises to the top.”

Odunze isn’t a veteran receiver who is above returning kicks, which would give him chances to make plays and help the team get good field position. If he does that, the confidence could improve his game as a receiver, as well. 

This job, if won, would not be Odunze’s main purpose on the team. They didn’t draft a punt returner ninth overall, they drafted a dynamic receiver, and he figures to benefit working alongside Moore and Allen. However, if Odunze can help the team do both, he would prove to be even more valuable.

Bears’ front office make statements about being on Hard Knocks

The Chicago Bears front office released statements about being featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks this summer.

Earlier this week, the Chicago Bears were announced as the team that will be featured on HBO’s Hard Knocks. A couple of other teams will be featured in other variations of the show but the series that takes place during training camp and preseason is the big one. This is an exciting time for Chicago Bears fans.

Although fans may like it, there is usually some negativity surrounding it from players, coaches, and executives. It could add an element of distraction and the Bears have a rookie quarterback coming in who will try to turn this franchise into a winner with his play. They would like to make sure that his first NFL training camp goes well.

After learning of the news, we heard from team president and CEO Kevin Warren, GM Ryan Poles, and head coach Matt Eberflus via the Chicago Bears website. They all made positive comments about the series and the team being featured. Poles and Warren specifically, commented on the excitement about the experience with Hard Knocks, while Eberflus went right into how excited the team is to get going with this very important season.

Warren:

“Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Chicago Bears will provide our passionate fans across the world the ability to experience this unique and critical time in the history of our franchise.”

Poles:

“The 2024 training camp will be big for us in preparation for achieving our season goals and we look forward to bringing the fans at home along for the journey.”

Eberflus:

“Our players, coaches, and staff are excited to continue the process of building for the 2024 season.”

Noticeably absent from the statements was chairman George McCaskey, who has been against having the series for a long time. He and the Bears couldn’t escape it this year, though. Of the eligible teams who could be forced to do the program this year, which consisted of the Denver Broncos and New Orleans Saints, the Bears were the most compelling by far. McCaskey probably knows that but doesn’t like it.

The NFL is an entertainment business and the Bears will provide plenty of it. With many new players coming in, including two first-round talents, the team has a lot of intrigue. It is nice to hear a couple of Bears executives speak highly of it as they are confident that it will be a good thing for the franchise and the fans. 2024 is a big year for the Bears.

Bears OC Shane Waldron talks Caleb Williams’ transition taking snaps under center

Caleb Williams was exclusively a shotgun quarterback in college. Shane Waldron talked about the Bears rookie QB’s transition under center.

The Chicago Bears have a lot of faith in quarterback Caleb Williams. They drafted him with the first overall pick for a reason. There are going to be some adjustments for him in the NFL, but he has all of the talent he needs to get the job done.

One of those adjustments will be taking snaps under center from time to time. Williams will have to get the timing, cadence, and footwork down perfectly before the time comes for games.

When Williams was at USC (and Oklahoma), he was exclusively a shotgun quarterback. Most guys in college can say the same. However, Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron runs an offense that has his guy under center a lot. Williams will have to be ready for that, but Waldron believes he is already ahead of schedule.

“I think the one thing Caleb has shown is that he can be in all sorts of backfield alignments,” Waldron said. “He did a great job at his pro day, he’s played quarterback his whole life, so I think the biggest thing will be just the footwork and really mastering that first step from under center, something that he’s taken pride in already and really gotten a jump on in this rookie minicamp. But he’s played the position his whole life, just like these other guys have, so I think there’s a good, natural transition. It wasn’t something where Caleb was starting from total scratch with the drops and his footwork.”

We already know that Williams has gotten off to a head start with just about everything else, and this is no different. He will be ready for this transition in no time. With the talent he has at the quarterback position, Williams could probably just jump in and play from under center right now if he wanted. Luckily, he’ll have plenty of practice between now and the start of the regular season.

Waldron is very complimentary of Williams already, which is great. These two are going to lead what promises to be a good offense in year one with Williams as the guy. With all of the weapons around them, it should be a joy to watch.

Bears QB coach Kerry Joseph explains how Caleb Williams’ head start has paid off

Bears QB coach Kerry Joseph said Caleb Williams was “light years ahead” going into rookie minicamp.

The Chicago Bears are hoping that Caleb Williams is committed to being the best version of himself for the team. Everybody knows that the team isn’t going anywhere unless he turns out to be the star they believe he is. That’s a lot of pressure, but he is a good enough player to make sure he is productive.

So far, it sounds like Williams’ dedication is already there. He showed up to Bears rookie minicamp with the knowledge that nobody expected him to have the way that he did. Williams quickly got into learning the fundamentals of Chicago’s offensive scheme with a head start.

Bears quarterbacks coach Kerry Joseph talked about how Williams learning the cadences, drops and verbiage of the offense has helped him get off to a head start in his rookie season.

“Coming into this minicamp, he was light years ahead of the information that he already had,” Joseph said, via Courtney Cronin.

Williams looks to be a fresh air compared to past quarterbacks, and his level of commitment has been impressive. The fact that he knows some of this stuff already is going to serve him well.

When Chicago starts to get it going with guys like Rome Odunze, Keenan Allen and DJ Moore, among others, they are going to click well because of the work that Williams is putting in. If he can call and operate an offense at a high level early as a rookie, it should lead to more wins and success.

Dane Brugler believes that Bears will consider Byron Murphy at No. 9

If the top-three receivers are off the board at No. 9, Dane Brugler believes the Bears could have eyes for DT Byron Murphy II.

The Chicago Bears are preparing for a franchise-defining 2024 NFL draft. While there’s no question what they’ll do with the first overall pick (hello, Caleb Williams), they have a big decision to make with the ninth overall selection.

Will they take a player to add depth on defense or will they give Williams more help?

The Athletic‘s Dane Brugler shared his thoughts on what he believes could happen at No. 9. Assuming the top three wide receivers — Marvin Harrison Jr., Malik Nabers and Rome Odunze — are off the board, he thinks Chicago could target Texas defensive tackle Byron Murphy II.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”5375″ ]

Brugler noted that Murphy would fit in well with Matt Eberflus’s scheme, giving them the disruptive three-tech they’re missing.

This could be a great move for the Bears if it happened. They already traded for Montez Sweat last year and it turned their play on defense around. If they added someone like Murphy, they would solidify their pass rush in a big way.

During his pre-draft press conference, general manager Ryan Poles said an interior pass rusher, like Murphy, is “probably a preference when you have an outside guy.” And we know the Bears already have that guy in Sweat.

This is a very big draft for Poles. If Williams and whoever they take at nine turns into studs, Chicago could prosper for a long time. Brugler’s scenario makes a lot of sense for the organization.

Follow The Bears Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

Drafting Joe Alt would be smart for Bears if he fell to No. 9

If Joe Alt were to somehow fall to the Bears at No. 9, Ryan Poles shouldn’t hesitate to draft him.

The Chicago Bears are gearing up for the 2024 NFL draft, where they’ll officially welcome new quarterback Caleb Williams to the fold.

Outside of the No. 1 pick, the Bears also have the No. 9 pick, where there are no shortage of options depending on how the board falls. While unlikely, could Notre Dame offensive tackle Joe Alt fall to Chicago?

Keeping Williams upright is one of the biggest keys for the Bears as they try to turn the franchise around. While Braxton Jones has been solid in two years, Alt could be the long-term answer at left tackle.

[gambcom-standard rankid=”5375″ ]

Darnell Wright is already one of the best right tackles in the NFL, and it might be wise to keep him there. With Teven Jenkins and a few others able to move around a little bit, the addition of Alt would be amazing.

If the Bears were able to add a left tackle like Alt, they could be building an offensive line that they have together for about a decade or more. That could be a key to this team finally developing a quarterback and winning a Super Bowl. It’s an exciting idea.

Alt is a big boy (6’9″, 321 lbs) who will be a force in the NFL. Drafting a lineman with that type of size and skill is important in this league, and one team is going to be very happy with him.

The only problem with Alt is that there is very little chance that the Bears can get him. It would be stunning if he fell to No. 9 in the draft. They are using the No. 1 pick on Williams and Alt going 2-8 is very likely. However, if the impossible happened and he fell to them at nine, general manager Ryan Poles likely wouldn’t hesitate to make the move.

Follow The Bears Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts

Trading down for Jackson Powers-Johnson might be smart for the Bears

If the Bears opt to trade back from No. 9, targeting center Jackson Powers-Johnson should be a consideration.

The Chicago Bears are almost certainly going to select quarterback Caleb Williams with the first overall pick (courtesy of the Carolina Panthers) in the 2024 NFL draft.

But the Bears also have the ninth overall selection, which offers plenty more intrigue (and options).

There are going to be some really good players on the board for them to consider at No. 9, and there’s certainly an allure of landing two blue chip players in the top 10. But there’s also a possibility of them trading back to get even more selections in the draft, considering they currently have just four picks.

One player they might consider trading down for is Oregon center Jackson Powers-Johnson, who could be an immediate contributor. To get him, you don’t need to be picking super high in the first round, but you probably can’t drop far below 20.

If the Bears could find a suitor that desperately wants to come up to No. 9 — and makes a generous offer — it’s something for them to think about. If any of the top quarterbacks, wide receivers or offensive tackles fell to that spot, there would certainly be interest from teams to move up. The possibilities are endless.

Chicago hasn’t had an answer at the center position in a long time. They’re starting to put together a good offensive line — they added two options in Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton, who are currently expected to compete for the starting job. But there isn’t a center there that you are going into the season with full confidence.

Powers-Johnson might be able to bring that to this group. Putting him with = Williams while both are rookies means that they could grow together, which is important. They also have PAC-12 connections, which is something that could bond them.

General manager Ryan Poles would also be adding other draft picks in 2024 or 2025 with a move like this, as well. We’ve seen desperate teams give up a lot to move up a handful of spots, and the Bears could be on the other side of that this time. Powers-Johnson makes a compelling case in a trade back scenario.

Follow The Bears Wire Podcast:
Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Google Podcasts