The Chicago Bears may have landed the big fish this offseason, as they paired former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator Ben Johnson with No. 1 pick Caleb Williams by hiring him as head coach, but Johnson still needs to prove he can put together a good staff around Williams before he gets anointed as a savior.
The Bears didn't waste much time, as they became the second team to hire a coach and the second to fill out both of their coordinator spots at their new digs. Johnson's hires are a mixture of youthful innovation and experience in areas where the Bears need both of those things.
Johnson has hired Denver Broncos tight ends coach Declan Doyle, who is just 28 years old, as his new offensive coordinator. Chicago is hoping that he has learned a bit about offensive football through osmosis after studying under Sean Payton for years. Another former New Orleans Saints coach is coming to town as well.
Johnson hired former Saints head coach and defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to be his new DC. While his time as a head coach was poor, he still has a strong reputation for coaching on defense specifically.
Bears hire Declan Doyle as OC, Dennis Allen as DC
Allen may have left a bad taste in the mouths of some fans, as his 26-53 record in charge of the Raiders and Saints as head coach is not a good look. However, his defenses were always rock-solid in New Orleans, and he was in charge of multiple division-winning defenses.
Johnson, who also started as a tight ends coach with both Miami and Detroit, may see a bit of himself in Doyle. The young coach got his start as an offensive assistant in New Orleans after Joe Brady left town, and he stayed in that role for four years before Sean Payton brought him to Denver and promoted him to tight ends coach.
Johnson will likely be heavily involved in the offensive side of things, so being able to nail the defensive coordinator hire may be his most important decision from a staff perspective. Having an insightful young mind growing beside him in Doyle could be very advantageous for Williams.
With Doyle's up-and-coming young mind and Allen's history creating successful defenses with personnel that mirrors what Chicago has in store now, the Bears are one step closer to putting the Matt Eberflus era in the past and once again making a return trip to the postseason.