ClutchPoints
The Chicago Bears have been in the same position for two consecutive years in the NFL offseason. A year ago they drafted quarterback Caleb Williams from USC with the No. 1 pick, and many observers said that move allowed the Bears to “win” the offseason.
During the current offseason, the Bears signed former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson to serve as the team’s head coach. Johnson was considered the hottest coaching prospect in each of the last two years and he chose to go with the Bears. That signing gave many of the NFL’s sharpest journalists and record-keepers to say that the Bears won the offseason once again.
Gaining the bulk of the headlines when games are not being played did not help the Bears last year when the season got underway. Chicago suffered through a 10-game losing streak and the Bears finished in last place in the NFC North with a 5-12 record. Williams was sacked 68 times during his rookie season and he did not prove to be a savior for his team
Former New York Jets general manager Mike Tannenbaum does not think the combination of Williams and Johnson will lead to a turnaround in Chicago. Tannenbaum does not believe that Williams has the discipline needed to become a dominant quarterback in the NFL.
The former NFL executive offered his opinion on ESPN’s morning program. “I am not (convinced about Williams in Chicago),” Tannenbaum said. “I worked with Ben Johnson in Miami, the new head coach of the Bears. He is going to be a rule-based, disciplined play-caller and coach. When you have 68 sacks? Look, the Bears were not great in coaching, not great in personnel last year, but you have to bear some of that responsibility.”
Even if the marriage between Williams and Johnson turns out to be successful, that does not mean the Bears will turn around their fortunes and dominate in the NFC North.
This is the NFL’s best division, and nobody knows that better than Johnson. The Lions are coming off a brilliant 15-2 regular season, and they earned the No. 1 seed in the NFC last year. If they had been healthier on defense, they would have had a much better chance to represent the NFC in the Super Bowl for the first time in team history.
The Minnesota Vikings were right behind the Lions with a 14-3 record. Head coach Kevin O’Connell’s team addressed weaknesses on the offensive line in the offseason, and they could have another excellent season if QB J.J. McCarthy is a good fit for the organization. The Green Bay Packers have made back-to-back playoff appearances with Jordan Love at quarterback.
If the Bears can beat out one of those teams — let alone all three — the partnership of Johnson and Williams will appear to be successful.
The post Bears’ Caleb Williams, Ben Johnson a bad fit, per former NFL GM appeared first on ClutchPoints.
