Tag: Rome Odunze

Gimme Him: Rome Odunze would be key building block for Patriots

Rome Odunze would help jumpstart the Patriots offense.

The New England Patriots are set to take on a Chicago Bears team with talent on both sides of the ball on Sunday. Rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze would be my selection for this week’s Gimme Him.

Odunze was drafted out of Washington with the ninth overall pick of the 2024 NFL draft. He has recorded 25 catches for 391 yards and a touchdown on the season. He is coming off his best game so far after racking up five receptions for 104 yards against the Arizona Cardinals.

His track record speaks for itself as a former top option at Washington and one of the best receivers in college football. He recorded over 3,000 yards while with the Huskies, including 92 catches for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2023.

The Patriots have tried to improve their receiving group, with Ja’Lynn Polk and Javon Baker being part of their rookie class. However, the returns have not been good so far.

Polk has struggled with drops this season, while Baker has seen the field in limited action. Meanwhile, Odunze ranks seventh amongst all NFL rookies in receiving yards.

The Patriots have second-year standouts in Demario Douglas and Kayshon Boutte, but there needs to be more depth in the wide receivers room. Odunze is a player capable of providing that as a reliable target for rookie quarterback Drake Maye.

We’ll see how he fares against the Patriots’ secondary on Sunday with star cornerback Christian Gonzalez on the other side.

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Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez teases Pac-12 rivalry for Week 10 match

Christian Gonzalez is ready to test himself against Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez had high praise for Chicago Bears rookie receiver Rome Odunze ahead of Sunday’s Week 10 matchup between the Patriots and Bears.

Gonzalez, a former Oregon standout, teased a Pac-12 rivalry with Odunze, who played at the University of Washington. He faced Odunze and his current teammate, Patriots wideout Ja’Lynn Polk, in 2022.

Odunze has become an important part of the Bears’ offense with 25 catches for 391 yards and a touchdown. He is coming off a career game against the Arizona Cardinals where he recorded five catches for 104 yards.

“(Rome Odunze), he’s a great receiver,” Gonzalez said, when appearing on WEEI’s “Jones and Keefe.” “He brings a lot to the table. He’s big, fast, smart, can run routes. I’ve got one of his teammates over here with me. I always give him smack about (University of Washington) because we don’t like UW. But, he’s a great receiver. Him, Keenan (Allen). I mean, we’re excited for the challenge.”

This time, Polk will be on Gonzalez’s side for the smack-talking. It’ll be interesting to see who Gonzalez matches up with in the game considering the Bears have multiple receivers that can hurt opposing defenses, including Odunze and six-time Pro Bowler Keenan Allen.

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Rome Odunze explained why Caleb Williams graciously let him keep their first Bears TD ball

Caleb Williams is already taking care of his best friend, Rome Odunze.

For the most part, the Chicago Bears and head coach Matt Eberflus enjoyed a dreadful afternoon against the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday. It felt like the Bears were stuck in the mud as they couldn’t overcome a middling Indy team in a deflating 21-16 loss. But if they had two bright spots, it’d be promising fellow top-10 picks Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze, the team’s foundational duo of the future.

Williams, of course, led the NFL in passing on Sunday with 363 yards, almost making up for three costly turnovers while he was pressing. Meanwhile, Odunze saw his first real breakout NFL game, catching six passes for 122 yards and a beautiful toe-tap touchdown from Williams in a late comeback effort.

The unique thing about the touchdown was that it was Williams’ first NFL touchdown pass and Odunze’s first NFL touchdown catch. That led to an amusing little game of keep-away between Odunze and his best pal after the fact:

https://twitter.com/NFL/status/1837939860826382803

After the game, Odunze clarified who exactly would keep the milestone touchdown ball. He maintained that Williams would be a good teammate and let him take it home because Williams planned on throwing many touchdowns over the course of his NFL career, especially to Odunze:

https://twitter.com/CourtneyRCronin/status/1837985643000963170

That’s why these two are best friends. And at this rate, with this kind of care for one another, it looks like they’ll be tearing up the NFL together for years to come.

Rome Odunze’s father ripped Dan Orlovsky’s ‘nonsense’ breakdown of the Bears’ rookie wideout

Rome Odunze’s dad was coming at Dan Orlovsky, not Caleb Williams.

Through two games to start his NFL career, Chicago Bears rookie first-round pick Rome Odunze has been underwhelming.

The receiver has just three catches for 44 yards on nine targets so far. While it wouldn’t be a stretch to say Odunze is still adjusting to football at the NFL level, it’d probably be hyperbolic to say he’s not getting open at all. He’s a rookie and is developing like any other young player. This is especially true when most of the Bears’ offensive issues stem from their poor blocking up front so far — not because any receivers aren’t getting open.

Someone didn’t pass along this memo to ESPN’s Dan Orlovsky, who claimed Odunze “wasn’t getting open at this level” earlier this week:

This unfair critique opened the door to the worst possible person for Orlovsky to defend his opinion against — Odunze’s father, James.

First, Odunze’s father posted a video of his son getting clear separation in the end zone during the Bears’ Week 1 win over the Tennessee Titans:

When people began misconstruing James Odunze’s intention with the video — with some assuming this might have been taking a similarly struggling Caleb Williams to task — the senior Odunze put all that talk to rest, clarifying that he wanted to blast Orlovsky’s “nonsense” opinion, not Odunze’s quarterback.

This is a good lesson for Orlovsky and any major national analyst. If you critique a player with an unfounded opinion, you’ll probably have to answer to their parents. And that’s something no one should want to do.

Fantasy football: Where to draft Chicago Bears WR Rome Odunze

Analyzing Chicago Bears WR Rome Odunze’s 2024 fantasy football ADP and where to target him in fantasy drafts.

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Chicago Bears WR Rome Odunze was taken in collaboration with No. 1 overall pick QB Caleb Williams to revive the franchise. Chicago needed playmakers, and it did just that, taking the Washington Huskies star receiver with the 9th overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft. Odunze was an All-American at Washington and is primed to be a star in the NFL. Below, we look at Rome Odunze’s 2024 fantasy football average draft position (ADP) and where you should draft him.

Entering 2024, Odunze’s best value will be in dynasty or keeper leagues, but he is expected to have a major role in the Bears offense. If he can find his footing early, Odunze could be a top-30 receiver as soon as this season. The rookie is intriguing in terms of fantasy value.

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Rome Odunze’s ADP: 85.30

(ADP data courtesy of MyFantasyLeague.com; last updated at time of this publishing – ADPs continually change as more drafts occur)

Odunze’s 85.30 ADP in redraft leagues puts him in the range of the 8th to 11th round depending on the size of the league. His ADP ranks 5th on the Bears. WR DJ Moore is 1st at 36.73, RB D’Andre Swift (61.87) is 2nd, WR Keenan Allen (67.28) is 3rd and rookie Williams (80.45) is 4th.

Among all wideouts, Odunze’s ADP ranks him 41st at the position, behind Carolina’s Diontae Johnson (85.00), the Green Bay duo of Christian Watson (83.97) and Jayden Reed (83.95) and Kansas City’s Xavier Worthy (78.07). The Chargers’ Ladd McConkey (93.52) is 42nd, while Jacksonville’s Brian Thomas Jr. (94.18) and Seattle’s Jaxon Smith-Njigba (97.21) are 43rd and 44th, respectively.

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Rome Odunze’s 2023 Washington stats

Games: 15

Receptions: 92

Receiving yards: 1,640

Receiving touchdowns: 13

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Where should you draft Odunze?

Odunze’s fantasy value is relatively unpredictable. The Bears have multiple top options, including Allen. Also, whether Williams will be successful as a rookie is still yet to be seen.

Odunze is a skilled playmaker and found a knack for consistently getting open at Washington. He was the go-to option for arguably the most potent collegiate offense, and he should be successful at the NFL level.

As WR3 — behind Moore and Allen — Odunze doesn’t have much fantasy value this season. If the Bears can stay on the field, Odunze should see between 80-100 targets and potentially get about 60 catches for 700 yards. That feels like what a successful season could look like for him.

While capable of producing right away, Odunze’s fantasy value is going to come in keeper and dynasty leagues, where he has much more appeal in his long-term potential. In those leagues, feel free to grab Odunze in the 7th or 8th round, but in standard PPR formats, feel free to let him drop on the unknown regarding both the Bears offense and his involvement in it.

Given his lofty upside even as a rookie, don’t let Odunze go undrafted; feel free to snag him in the 9th round in all leagues.

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Caleb Williams with spectacular scramble for Bears TD

Caleb Williams with a thrilling TD run for the Bears

The Chicago Bears got to see some of what they wished for when they drafted Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze in the first round of the 2024 NFL draft.

The No. 1 overall pick made time and found the No. 9 overall pick in the second quarter on Saturday at Soldier Field. The pass was perfect and the former Washington star hauled it in down the field.

The pair almost combined for a TD but Odunze stepped out of the back of the end zone as he made the catch.

Williams took care of finishing the drive by himself with a scramble for the score that was reminiscent of some of his better days at USC.

Rome Odunze is his own leader alongside Caleb Williams with Bears

Rome Odunze is taking on a leadership role so that Caleb Williams doesn’t have to do it all himself.

Caleb Williams is facing the pressure of being the starting quarterback for the Chicago Bears amid a tidal wave of massive expectations. He stood in front of a Chicago Bears team meeting, talked about his signing bonus worth $25.5 million, and forgot the lyrics when singing karaoke in front of the team on the first episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” Caleb Williams knows he needs other players to help him become great with the Bears. Rome Odunze is one. Odunze is a fellow top-10 draft pick who will be asked to catch passes from Williams’ right arm. Bears Wire notes that Odunze is making a mark in Chicago in his own right:

It was Odunze’s turn during the Rookie Showcase, where he had his teammates doing with his rendition of “Kiss Kiss” by Chris Brown. But the true highlight came when Odunze took time after practice to talk to a pair of ninth grade football players and preached the importance of preparation, quoting the late, great Kobe Bryant. “Kobe said he never took a shot in a game that he didn’t take a thousand times in practice. It’s the same way in football. You should never catch a ball in a game that you ain’t caught a thousand times in practice.”

It’s clear that Odunze understands elite competition and professional preparation. This is part of why Caleb Williams is in a position to succeed with the Bears.

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Bears rookie Rome Odunze talks about Kobe Bryant during HBO’s ‘Hard Knocks’

Late Lakers great Kobe Bryant continues to be a sterling example for others to follow and model themselves after.

Late Los Angeles Lakers great Kobe Bryant wasn’t jsut one of the greatest basketball players of all time — he also became an icon who transcended basketball. His “Mamba Mentality” of doing whatever it takes, being obsessed with one’s craft and treating winning as a life-or-death thing has inspired countless people in various walks of life.

Chicago Bears wide receiver Rome Odunze is a rookie who is thought to have star potential. He had 81 receptions for 1,640 yards and 13 touchdowns last season while helping to lead the University of Washington to the College Football Playoff National Championship Game.

He has joined a Bears roster that is suddenly loaded with more talent than any other the franchise has had in decades. It led to the hit HBO show “Hard Knocks” featuring them this year.

In the second episode of this year’s version of “Hard Knocks,” Odunze told a couple of teenagers about Bryant’s total dedication to preparation.

Via NFL.com:

“Kobe said he never took a shot in a game that he didn’t take a thousand times in practice,” Odunze relayed to the teens. “It’s the same way in football. You should never catch a ball in a game that you ain’t caught a thousand times in practice.”

He also made it clear that preparation also helps with one’s belief in what one is capable of doing during actual games.

“It’s just the preparation, you know what I mean?” he continued. “When you’re doing those things, when you’re doing that hard preparation, keep telling yourself like, ‘Hey, man, I’m out here working!’ The guy across me when it comes game time, he didn’t do that work I was putting in. All those things build confidence.”

Odunze is just one headline-making Bears rookie who is seemingly modeling himself after a legend. Quarterback Caleb Williams, the No. 1 pick in this year’s NFL draft, has reportedly adopted legendary QB Tom Brady’s TB12 Method when it comes to his diet and workout regimen.

Bryant and Brady aren’t exactly bad examples to model after, whether one is a pro athlete or someone who works every day for minimum wage.

Fantasy football outlook: Chicago Bears wide receivers

For the first time in ages, Chicago has a passing game.

When you consider the Chicago Bears franchise stretches back more than 100 years, it beggars belief that they’ve never had a 4,000-yard passer (Erik Kramer holds the record with 3,838 yards in 1995) or had someone throw 30 touchdown passes (Kramer threw 29 in ’95). Are the winds of change finally ready to blow in the Windy City?

If they aren’t, it won’t be from a lack of trying. After trading for wide receiver DJ Moore last year, general manager Ryan Pace spent the first overall pick on quarterback Caleb Williams and then the ninth selection on WR Rome Odunze. Seeking a veteran presence, the GM also worked out a deal for longtime Los Angeles Chargers wideout Keenan Allen.

On paper, this is, by far, the best receivers room in the team’s history. It doesn’t end there, though, as the Bears also have a pair of solid tight ends in Cole Kmet (73-719-6 in 2023) and Gerald Everett (51-411-3 w/ LAC), and an accomplished pass catcher out of the backfield in running back D’Andre Swift, who has averaged 49 receptions per season in his career.

With so many options paired with a rookie triggerman, what can fantasy owners expect in 2024?

Bears top rookies sit out Hall of Fame game

Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze aren’t playing for the Bears in the Hall of Fame game.

If you tuned into the Hall of Fame game to get your first look at Chicago Bears rookie quarterback Caleb Williams and rookie wide receiver Rome Odunze, you will be disappointed.

Both players dressed for the game and went through pregame warmups but neither player saw the field in the first half and won’t be playing at all. Instead, Brett Rypien got the start for Chicago.

The Bears went all-in on Williams in the 2024 NFL draft. After using the No. 11 overall pick on Justin Fields in 2021, the Bears traded Fields away to the Pittsburgh Steelers and committed fully to Williams as their quarterback of the future.

The Bears then used their second first-round pick on former Washington wide receiver Rome Odunze. This gave the Bears a potent one-two punch for the future. Hopefully we will get the NFL debut of Williams and Odunze in the Bears second preseason game when they travel to Buffalo and take on the Bills on August 10.

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