One crucial aspect to this offseason that needed to be changed for the Chicago Bears was making sure they had the appropriate pieces around quarterback Caleb Williams to succeed.
This included the team bringing in new help on the offensive line with Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson taking care of the interior of the line. With Keenan Allen in free agency, Williams got new pass catchers in first-round pick tight end Colston Loveland and second-round pick Luther Burden III.
One other underrated signing could help Williams as well with wide receiver Olamide Zaccheaus. Some might even think he could be the best player in his new role on the roster.
ESPN names Zaccheaus the best fourth wide receiver in the NFL
ESPN NFL senior writer Bill Barnwell examined the best players in the NFL at positions other than the typical quarterback or running back. Some of the positions he looked at were slot cornerback or blocking tight end. Zaccheaus was named the best fourth wide receiver in the NFL, as Barnwell believes he's more like a third receiver on other teams.
"While Zaccheaus might have been something closer to the second or third wide receiver for the Commanders last season, he is expected to slot in behind DJ Moore, Rome Odunze and rookie second-round pick Luther Burden III in Chicago. Don't be surprised if Zaccheaus is on the field more often than you would expect -- coaches love him.
Zaccheaus is undersized at 5-foot-8, 193 pounds, but he has still carved out a role in the NFL by being an aggressive, willing blocker. He was effective as both a blocker and receiver on the tunnel and bubble screens the Commanders ran last season; he was also capable of finding holes in coverage out of the slot. He averaged a respectable 1.9 yards per route run last season, just ahead of DK Metcalf (Seahawks) and Jordan Addison (Vikings). And while Zaccheaus is never going to command their sort of target share, the 27-year-old is one of the league's most effective wideouts without the ball in his hands. He even ran through tackles in the Eagles' secondary for a critical score in the fourth quarter of a December win over the eventual Super Bowl champs.
The only blemish on Zaccheaus' 2024 record is his three fumbles, all of which came on punt return duties. The Bears signed Devin Duvernay to take over the return work in Chicago, and Zaccheaus had only one fumble in his career before last season, so I'm willing to write that off as a bit of a fluke. Zaccheaus won't be the Bears' wideout who sells the most jerseys this offseason, but he should be on the field plenty."
Zaccheaus is coming off the second-best season of his career with the Washington Commanders last year, as he caught 45 passes for 506 yards and three touchdowns in 17 games. He has bounced around the NFL since playing his first four seasons with the Atlanta Falcons. Before the Commanders, he was on the Philadelphia Eagles' roster in 2023.
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There are different roles Zaccheaus can play on the Bears, as he is a perfect fit at slot. He's a reliable third-down receiver with exceptional route-running abilities that set him apart from the pack. Burden will learn a great deal from the veteran receiver and how to excel in the slot receiver position.
Moore and Odunze will be the outside receivers, who are good at those roles, and Burden and Zaccheaus will fit right in as slot receivers. Williams is loaded at wide receiver, and with Burden still recovering from his soft tissue injury, Zaccheaus could see more playing time at first which will benefit his quarterback to have a veteran showing the rookie the ropes.