Day 26 of the Chicago Bears offseason. You have no idea how much I love a rainy Friday.
Lester A. Wiltfong Jr. (who’s a quality follow on BlueSky!) shares that the Bears are no longer listing the following assistants on the team’s official website: DL Coach Travis Smith, Assistant RBs Coach Jennifer King, Assistant QB/WR Coach Ryan Griffin, and Assistant OL Coach Jason Houghtaling. I’ll be curious to see how Ben Johnson rounds out his coaching staff as a first-year head coach. It sounds like the Bears have a new defensive line coach:#Bears have finalized hire of defensive line coach Bill Johnson, per a league source @KPRC2 t.co/44NOHkAOqv
— Aaron Wilson (@AaronWilson_NFL) January 31, 2025 Bill Johnson has plenty of NFL experience, having coached for the Atlanta Falcons (2001-06), Denver Broncos (2007-08), New Orleans Saints (2009-16), and Los Angeles Rams (2017-18). There is some crossover between Johnson and Dennis Allen, the new Bears defensive coordinator. With that in mind, I expect Allen to bring in other coaches he is familiar with to round out his staff. I loved this quote from Bears Defensive Coordinator Dennis Allen (as transcribed by the Sun-Times’ Patrick Finley):“I think sometimes we can learn through other people’s trials and tribulations instead of having to go through them ourselves — I think that’s a better way to learn. I think anything that I can do to help him just from my own personal experience and what I went through as a first-time head coach, a second-time head coach. You know, the challenges are there on a daily basis as a head coach. . . . [You have to] deal with those as they come along.
“Every day you wake up, you’re coming into the office, and you know that there are going to be things that you’re going to have to deal with. And then it’s just really about, how do you react to those things?”
Not only is this a worthwhile bit of perspective from the new Bears DC that could apply to our daily lives, but I think those words serve as a reminder of how important it can be for a rookie head coach to have an assistant who has “been there and done that” as a head coach at previous stops. Was Allen’s time as the Raiders or Saints head coach great? No. But that experience could still turn out to be valuable. © Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images Garrett Podell (CBS Sports) ranks the top performers from the 2025 East-West Shrine Bowl. Among them were a pair of defensive linemen who piqued my interest as a Bears backer who knows this team needs help in the trenches. SMU defensive end Elijah Roberts and Maryland defensive tackle Jordan Phillips seemed to make a name for themselves this past week. NFL Draft analyst Chad Reuter also shares some top names from the Shrine Bowl in his analysis. One player who received a mention that stood out to me (particularly considering the Bears’ projected positional needs) was wide receiver Efton Chism III, who caught Reuter’s eye:Working mostly out of the slot and winning with a quick release off the line, he displayed his trademark precise routes and strong hands. Chism also hurdled a safety to get downfield on one catch and made another grab over the middle knowing he would take a hit. The do-it-all playmaker also returned kickoffs and punts, getting upfield quickly and running tough to maximize each play.
The Bears will have a sneaky need at WR3 if they don’t bring back Keenan Allen. If Chicago and Allen part ways, I’d be into the idea of bringing in a wideout who can also chip in as a return ace. Versatility is king. After interviewing twice for different positions with the Bears, David Shaw is reportedly heading to the Lions. The former Stanford head coach is set to become the team’s passing game coordinator. There is a part of me that is disappointed that Chicago couldn’t reel in Shaw for Ben Johnson’s staff. The organization clearly liked him enough to give him multiple interviews. Maybe I feel like this because he chose the Lions. (Detroit Free Press) I can’t stop thinking about that tweet from ESPN’s Adam Schefter reporting that Ben Johnson was lining up a “star-studded” coaching staff. Dennis Allen would certainly fit that mold. But the team has missed out on bringing in Lions OL Coach Hank Fraley (he stuck around in DET) and Saints Special Teams Coach Darren Rizzi (I suppose he could still get the HC gig in the Big Easy). Johnson could still end up with a “star-studded” staff of assistants. But perhaps it won’t be loaded with names we already know. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers are operating in the most petty way imaginable and I am 100 percent here for it:No favors: Buccaneers blocked Jacksonville’s request to interview its assistant offensive line coach, Brian Picucci, who left Kentucky with Liam Coen to go to Tampa. Jags were able to hire Coen, but not Picucci.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) January 31, 2025The #Jaguars requested to interview #Bucs offensive line coach Kevin Carberry for a similar role but were blocked by Tampa Bay, per sources. New head coach Liam Coen, former Bucs OC, had success with Carberry last year and looked into bringing him along.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) January 30, 2025 Considering how the Liam Coen situation went down between Tampa and Jacksonville, I don’t blame the Bucs one bit. In fact, I am quietly egging them on from the comfort of my home office. Keep it up. We love petty around here. ESPN’s Michael DiRocco reports the Jaguars do have one hire lined up — it is former Packers assistant coach Anthony Campanile, who is becoming the team’s defensive coordinator. Campanile was Green Bay’s linebackers coach and run game coordinator. The NFL is investigating allegations of inappropriate behavior during massage sessions against Baltimore Ravens kicker Justin Tucker.MORE AT BN: BN Fantasy | Newsletter | Cubs | Bulls | Blackhawks
Cubs Have Reportedly Discussed a Dylan Cease Trade with the Padres [image or embed]
— Bleacher Nation (@bleachernation.bsky.social) January 30, 2025 at 12:45 PMCould the #Blackhawks (Maybe… Modestly, Strategically) Add Before the Trade Deadline? www.bleachernation.com/blackhawks/2…[image or embed]
— Bleacher Nation Blackhawks (@bn-blackhawks.bsky.social) January 30, 2025 at 10:16 AM[image or embed]
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