Other teams have already announced their full coaching staffs by now. For some reason, the Chicago Bears have remained quiet, leading some to speculate whether they have other moves in mind. Sure enough, news dropped on Friday that they'd reached an agreement with Oregon State offensive line coach Kyle DeVan to become the Bears' assistant offensive line coach. This is a reunion of sorts. DeVan worked with Dan Roushar in New Orleans in 2015. That familiarity no doubt played a part in making this move.
DeVan entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2008. After bouncing around some practice squads, he landed with the Indianapolis Colts in 2009, where he started in the Super Bowl. Then, he went on to make stops in Philadelphia and Tennessee. After his brief stint in New Orleans, he became the offensive line coach at Ball State, where he produced eventual 5th round pick Danny Pinter. A couple of years later, he took over the same job at the University of Arizona, where he recruited a young man named Jordan Morgan, the Green Bay Packers' eventual 1st round pick.
The Chicago Bears did well with this move.
DeVan is not only a former offensive lineman but also has extensive experience at both the NFL and college levels. He's only 40 years old, meaning he's still quite young. Add his familiarity with Roushar, and it is a hiring that makes sense all the way around. Depth isn't only important among players. You need it on the coaching staff as well. DeVan offers an extra pair of eyes come draft time right when the Chicago Bears need them. He'll also help take a lot off of Roushar's plate from a workload standpoint. The last time the two of them worked together, the Saints allowed only 31 sacks and had the #1 passing offense in the NFL.
