Bears News: Rome Odunze ready for a bigger role in year 2

Ariana Pensy · Correspondent · 11 hours ago

CHICAGO - Wide receiver Rome Odunze had a solid first season in the NFL with 54 receptions for 734 yards and three touchdowns. However, he should be stepping into the No. 2 wide receiver role this season.

Being able to learn from an offensive-minded head coach like Ben Johnson should help him get where he needs to go.

“It’s an explosive offense. I think Ben and the crew have great offensive minds. So, I feel like they can help put me in positions to succeed and that’s all I can ask for. But, at the end of the day, I got to go out there and make the plays and get the job done regardless. So, I think it’s something that is a dual relationship in that fact, and we both kind of have to come together to make that happen. But, I feel like it’s brewing for sure,” Odunze said. “We’ve kind of set a foundation of our standard. Still building on that as well, but we set a foundation, I feel like, in many aspects of the offense whether that’s our details, our learning, our chemistry, our knowledge of the playbook, our feeling of different routes and specializations for individual receivers and tight ends and all that as well. So, I know when we get the pads on the o-line and d-line, we’ll be able to actually have some fun out there as well.”

This season will also mark the second year for quarterback Caleb Williams. Given the coaching debacles last season, Johnson is really having to start from scratch with Williams.

Despite this challenge, Odunze said he has seen growth from Williams and the whole offense, particularly in two-minute situations.

“He’s continued to grow from what I’ve seen and make strides and continue to pour into his profession and his craft and from my perspective, that’s all I can ask for,” Odunze said. “Within those two-minute situations, it’s definitely something that is kind of its own separate thing along with the base offense. But, within those situations, there’s certain things that Ben and crew want us to accomplish and just learning those aspects of it just took us a little bit to get our feet underneath us. But, feel like (we) kind of picked up a stride (and) hopefully that will carry into training camp when we get there.”

For the second straight season, Chicago has a new wide receivers coach in Antwaan Randle El. Randle El played nine years in the NFL from 2002 to 2010, spending five seasons with the Pittsburgh Steelers and four years with Washington. He also served as a punt returner for most of his career.

With his ample experience, he has a lot of knowledge to pass on to receivers like Odunze.

“I think in all facets of it, wide receiver play, I think he’s very knowledgeable, releases routes, catch point, all those different things. I think he has a very great knowledge and expertise of those things,” Odunze said. “So, when it comes to wide receiver play, I don’t like to close my mind to anything that I can improve on. There’s always little details and things that I can improve. So, I’m open to all those suggestions and coaching points and I think we have a great coach-player relationship in that fact where we can both grow.”

A player’s rookie season is always difficult, but the head coaching change and multiple changes at offensive coordinator did not help anything.

However, what was most difficult for Odunze was losing.

“Losing sucks and I don’t like losing. So, that was the hardest part,” Odunze said.

Hopefully, that will not be a problem under Ben Johnson. With his offensive mind and the improvements made on both sides of the ball, the Bears have no excuse for not performing like they did last season.