Ben Johnson was hired for different reasons than Matt Eberflus. The latter came in hoping to execute a successful rebuild of a Chicago Bears team that had gotten old and expensive. Johnson arrives to turn what looks like a talented roster into winners. That means getting more out of the team's high draft picks like Darenll Wright, Caleb Williams, and Rome Odunze. The new head coach has been complimentary of Wright, seeing him as a capable right tackle with a high ceiling. Williams has embraced the work put in front of him to improve. However, the one who keeps turning heads is Odunze.
Johnson spoke on the second-year wide receiver during his latest press conference on Wednesday. He's been around plenty of good players at that position during his time as an assistant. However, what he's seeing from Odunze is rare.
There have been rumblings around the NFL that Johnson admires Odunze and sees superstar potential in the former 9th overall pick. These latest comments reinforce those rumors. One must imagine the passing game could look radically different this season.
Rome Odunze may become the focal point.
Last year, the offense went through D.J. Moore and Keenan Allen. That was not a surprise. Both men have been two of the NFL's top receivers over the past several years. While they didn't have the production they probably hoped for, it was still helpful for Williams' development, chaotic as it was. Not enough people talk about how Rome Odunze still had 734 yards despite getting only the third-most targets on the team. There were several instances where he was open, and Williams just failed to hit him, too.
With Allen out of the picture, the target share is almost certain to shift more in his direction. Couple that with Johnson's much better offensive system, and you have the makings of an Odunze breakout. This is what the Bears envisioned when they drafted him.
