Bear Digest

Bears Receivers Have More Than Talent Working on Their Side

The Bears receiver trio of DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen have far more than their own talent working toward the passing game's success, whether it's coaching or the system.

Gene Chamberlain

New Bears receivers coach Chris Beatty works with Bears receiver Keenan Allen while both were with the Chargers.
New Bears receivers coach Chris Beatty works with Bears receiver Keenan Allen while both were with the Chargers. / Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports
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The Bears receiver group has so much going for it in terms of talent that anything else seems superfluous.

They have superfluous, too, in the form of group dynamic, the scheme and the coaching situation.

Their trio could be exactly what they need to guarantee success on offense this season and even moving forward. They have an ideal receiver/coach relationship set up, and Rome Odunze also has two possible mentors in receivers DJ Moore and Keenan Allen.

When the Bears hired former Chargers and Steelers receivers coach Chris Beatty to be receivers coach, they not only got the coach who spent the last three years working with Allen but also Moore's college receivers coach at Maryland. It's invaluable experience and it's all being merged on behalf of the passing game.

"At the end of the day, I don't know if you can get two better mentors–and two different skillsets," Beatty said. "DJ is like a bull in a china shop, and Keenan is like paint the edges on Picasso.

"At the end of the day, you get every angle. And Rome is kind of in between. There are times when he's rugged and rough like DJ and then there's part of his game that's intricate like Keenan. At the end of the day, I think he can learn from both of them because his skillset is a little bit in between them, and it gives him a chance to be able to learn from two of the best in the business."

There's an example of a situation like this going haywire that's being reported recently in social media and by a former Bears personnel department employee.

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Bill Zimmerman's 2nd City Gridiron podcast had former Bears player personnel director Josh Lucas of the Ryan Pace era on talking about the "toxic" relationship between Justin Fields as a rookie and veterans Nick Foles and Andy Dalton.

"We thought having two vets with him would really help him, with Andy and Nick, and that was not cohesive at all," Lucas said on the podcast.

In that interview he called Fields "a little stand-offish" and "a little abrassive" and suggested he wasted an opportunity to learn from the two veterans.

With the Bears receivers situation it would be quite a bit different even though it's two veterans and a rookie. It's different mainly because all three are going to be playing and in the QB situation only one could play.

The other reason is Beatty and his influence after working with the two veterans in the past. Beatty had known there was a chance the Bears were getting Allen after he had signed himself to come to Chicago.

"I got off the plane, I was flying home, and Ryan called and said, 'Hey, we're looking at making this (trade for Allen)," Beatty recalled. "Let's make sure we're good on it.' He was dotting all his Is, crossing all his Ts, making sure he was the guy we wanted.

"I had already been talking, because Keenan and I talk all the time anyway, so I was like, 'This can't be real at the end of the day.' "

When Beatty called a call about Allen that the deal occurred, he wasn't the only one happy.

"Then I get the call, and my son was sitting there with me," Beatty said. "He knew by the look on my face. He was doing cartwheels because he knew what that meant. He's known Keenan the last three years. So super excited. Like I said, if there's a better one in the league as far as all-around, he's right up there with him. So he's a coach's dream."

With Moore, Beatty has had ties longer even than with Allen. It went back to 2017 after their days together at Maryland.

"So we've always talked all throughout his days in the pros," Beatty said. "So when we (Chargers) played the Bears last year, we were able to see each other again for the first time in a while. And when I got back here (to work), it was like, we never left. I love DJ. He’s like family to me. So at the end of the day, it's a great thing for me."

From the sound of it, the situation sounds like it can be a great thing for Odunze and also Williams.

The other aspect intriguing to Beatty is working within the Shane Waldron offense.

"I've watched him for a long time, seeing his offense out there," Beatty said. "We pulled a ton of clips, teaching guys with Tyler Lockett and DK Metcalf (film), so really been impressed with the work and it's great to be with him.

"Being able to be multiple is being able to move those guys around. We have guys that can do that, and I think Rome gives us a chance to do that. Like, DJ is more skilled than people give him credit for, right? But you've got complementary skill sets that give you a chance to move people around and create matchups that you want. I think the way Shane is putting it together, it really has a chance to be special."

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.