Most of the major open jobs on the Chicago Bears coaching staff have been filled. Shane Waldron takes over as offensive coordinator, with Kerry Joseph as his quarterbacks coach. Eric Washington is the new defensive coordinator. That leaves two main positions for head coach Matt Eberflus to fill. Probably the most important is wide receivers coach, given the team is likely about to draft a new quarterback. They need to make sure the receiver group is playing at its best. Unsurprisingly, they’re targeting guys with experience. The latest name to surface might be the most interesting yet. It’s Chris Beatty.
His latest work came in Los Angeles with the Chargers. During his three seasons there, he oversaw the work by names like Keenan Allen and Mike Williams. Both cracked 1,000 yards at least once under Beatty’s watch, while Josh Palmer became a quality third option. This isn’t the extent of his work, though. He first started coaching wide receivers way back in 2011 at Vanderbilt. Since then, he has earned a reputation for molding young players into eventual standout NFL receivers.
- Vanderbilt – Jordan Matthews
- Maryland – D.J. Moore
- Pitt – Jordan Addison
Chris Beatty brings experience and familiarity to the Bears.
His connection to Moore alone makes this a somewhat unsurprising move. The wide receiver became a superstar at Maryland under the coach’s guidance. One can imagine the team may have gotten a tip from the Pro Bowler about maybe bringing him in. There is no denying Beatty is well-traveled. Most of his experience comes from the college ranks, which means he understands how to work with younger players and mold them into more polished professionals. He would be a good addition for somebody like Tyler Scott.
This likely comes down to finding the guy who fits the vision of what the Bears want from their receivers. Waldron is known for being a pass-first coach. He may wish to secure a receivers coach who can ensure his players develop the skill sets necessary to get them open frequently. Chris Beatty showcased that during his stint in Los Angeles and various other stops in college. He also demonstrates a keen eye for talent at the position. Such people are good to have around.
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Keenan Allen and Mike Williams can get 1000 yards with Mickey Mouse. What did he do with OTHER receivers?
Erik Lambert – the likelihood is that the Bears will draft a quarterback. But NOT to start. While pundit belief is that a new coordinator means a new quarterback, NO ONE likes walking into a room blind. EVERYONE wants to know what they are walking into. Knowing who you’ve drafted, or who you have (even if you draft someone else), is really important to any sane human being. Except for someone writing about Justin Fields and Caleb Williams. (Even if you don’t know Williams will be drafted). The reason Erik Lambert didn’t write about the Bears coaching situation until the… Read more »
While I don’t know much about him at all, I will say that the main developmental WR he had this year (1st round pick Quinton Johnston) didn’t develop/flourish as expected. Considering Mike Williams was out almost all season, I would have expected more from Johnston. Is that a coaching problem or a player problem… I don’t know.
I believe the 1,000 yard barrier needs to be raised as an impressive receiver stat. I was shocked when DJ didn’t make Pro Bowl but then looked at numbers being put up by other WR’s. Since the league won’t allow DB’s to do their work the needle will keep going higher
Sounds like Poles was or will be on the phone with DJ Moore to get his impressions of Beatty as a coach and as a mentor. Good to have more inside information about potential candidates. We all know that Moore isn’t shy about voicing his opinions about coaches and teammates, so Poles should get good data from Moore.