Former Player Thinks Olamide Zaccheaus To Bears Is Robbery

Losing Keenan Allen to free agency presented the Chicago Bears with a difficult challenge. They would have to find a wide receiver who could help complement D.J. Moore and Rome Odunze in the passing game while also fitting the new offense head coach Ben Johnson aimed to install. Plenty of names were mentioned as possibilities, from Amari Cooper to Tim Patrick. However, the Bears pulled a minor swerve when they struck a deal with Olamide Zaccheaus, a former undrafted free agent who'd carved out a productive niche with the Washington Commanders last season en route to the NFC Championship.

Most will see it as a downgrade from Allen, considering Zaccheaus barely cracked 500 yards with three touchdowns. That belies the many little things he can bring to a football team. ESPN analyst and former defensive back Matt Bowen helped illustrate this on Twitter. From time to time, he posts moves by teams he thinks are underrated. It appears he's a fan of the Zaccheaus signing due to what he offers both on offense and special teams. Rest assured, it's not just about his receiving ability.

Olamide Zaccheaus is willing to do whatever is asked of him.

He's a quality slot target with enough explosiveness to create separation, but he truly shines once the ball is in his hands. Johnson tends to prefer receivers who can make plays after the catch. It isn't surprising he'd like Zaccheaus. Beyond that, he is a willing blocker in the run game. Keep in mind he is only 5'8" and 193 lbs. That didn't stop Washington from using him on 227 run-blocking snaps. To top it off, he also averaged 10.5 yards on 17 punt returns last season. There are innumerable ways he can help the Bears.

The best part is it likely didn't cost much to acquire him. Signing Olamide Zaccheaus likely eases any need for the Bears to worry about drafting a wide receiver early. They are free to focus on other positions. It will be fascinating to see how the coaches deploy him this season. Perhaps they will borrow concepts from what Washington did last season.