If you believe Ben Johnson wasn't the Chicago Bears' focal point this off-season, you would be mistaken.
Now, we can prop up Ryan Poles all we want, but Ryan Pace did the same for Matt Nagy in 2018 by signing Allen Robinson, Trey Burton, drafting Tarik Cohen, David Montgomery, and much more. It didn't work out in the end, but Pace tried.
I know; I brought up Pace again. Poles needs to hit on these playmakers. He missed on Velus Jones Jr and Chase Claypool, but he can make up for it by pairing the re-signed Cole Kmet with Colston Loveland and giving his new coach a pair of weapons the coach likes.
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Many others, including myself, thought Luther Burden II would be drafted in the first round, but then the last college year happened. Burden is a five-star high school recruit, but you already know that.
Poles loves drafting players who were the best in the country at one point. It doesn't always work out, but age for age, those players tend to become the best among their peers at the NFL level.
Burden had 20 fewer catches in 2024 than he did in 2023. There is a theme of players who had a better 2023 college season that the Bears drafted.
While watching tape of now-teammate Shamar Turner, I witnessed Burden getting open just as much as he did in 2023 during the Missouri and Texas A&M games. Did Burden wear out his welcome? I truly do believe he is a diva. I called it about Anthony Miller and Allen Robinson. Burden fits the bill, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't throw them the ball when they are open.
If Brady Cook was trying to prove he could do it without giving the ball to his number one receiver, that's on him. Good luck, kid, because that won't help you get drafted (It didn't).
If Cook had gotten the ball to Burden 20 more times, Burden would have been drafted in the first round. Burden would have come close to the 900-yard mark.
Burden plays exactly like D.J. Moore. Johnson talks about having a basketball team of weapons. Well, Burden played point guard in high school. Moore will be the two-guard.
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The basketball team has been assembled: Rome Odunze is the small forward, Loveland is the power forward, and Kmet is the center. Now, it is up to the head coach and his staff to get the most out of them that they can.
Maybe Johnson can do a better job with his basketball team than the Chicago Bulls have been doing. Coby White, stay consistent, kid.