The Chicago Bears hired Ben Johnson for several reasons. Chief among them was his obvious offensive aptitude, having coordinated the Detroit Lions to great success over the past three years. His ability to elevate quarterback Jared Goff to the best work of his career made it an easy decision to pair Johnson with Caleb Williams. Beyond that, the coach earned a reputation as a grinder, obsessed with details and high intensity. These are all traits the organization felt Matt Eberflus didn't have enough of. However, Dan Campbell made sure to point out something people are missing.
Detroit's head coach acknowledged Johnson's intelligence as a play caller and insatiable work ethic. However, he was also quick to point out something else that makes him such a complete coach: an eye for talent. While the offensive coordinator doesn't have the final say on personnel, Campbell admitted Johnson had a strong voice in who the Lions drafted during his three years on the job. The results were almost universally positive, which bodes well for what is to come.
“He’s got a good eye for what he’s looking for, guys he thinks can play a certain role for us,” Campbell said. “I think he and I saw things very much alike, so that helps. But he’s got a good eye for those things. Certainly, he didn’t lack input on players he liked or what he saw, what he thought they could do. Just like everyone else on our staff – if they got a vision for a guy and they believe in him, speak up. And he was one of those guys who did it.”
Dan Campbell has evidence to back up his argument.
In three years as Lions offensive coordinator, the team selected an offensive player in the first three rounds three times. Those picks resulted in wide receiver Jameson Williams, running back Jahmyr Gibbs, and tight end Sam LaPorta. Williams cracked 1,000 yards receiving last season, while Gibbs and LaPorta have both made the Pro Bowl. They may not have been Johnson's picks exclusively, but if Campbell were telling the truth, then the young coach would have been a major proponent of all three.
That bodes well for the Bears. Having a GM who is good at identifying talent is one thing. However, history says it is often best when the GM and the head coach both have that ability. Think Sean McVay and Les Snead in Los Angeles or Andy Reid and Brett Veach in Kansas City. Chicago probably hasn't seen anything like it since Jim Finks and Mike Ditka were briefly together in 1982 and 1983. That yielded incredible results. If Dan Campbell is right about Johnson, this new partnership with Poles could be loads of fun.
