New Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus dropped some interesting bits of info in a recent conversation with NFL insider Peter King.
In a March 22 conversation on The Peter King podcast, Eberflus discussed his plans for his new team as well as for second-year quarterback Justin Fields, and it’s clear communication and trust are both huge to the first-time head coach. It’s also clear change is coming to the Windy City.
“The first day on the job, I had Justin come in. We sat in my office for 45 minutes and just talked,” Eberflus told King about his young signal-caller, noting he wants to get to know his players personally while also keeping the lines of communication consistently open.
“It’s important that you build that trust with your players,” he added, before going into detail about a few of the things he wants to change to help set Fields up for success.
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Eberflus Hints Bears Could Add Another RB
Fields completed 58.9% of his passes during his rookie campaign for 1,870 yards, seven touchdowns and 10 interceptions. He added 420 rushing yards and two scores on the ground, but he also fumbled 12 times, recovering four. Eberflus went into detail about how he plans to help the young QB get better in Year 2.
“We have to have an offensive line that can block the running game an appropriate way, and then we have to have runners, you know, different pace runners,” Eberflus said, adding: “We have a good runner now but we’re going to add some other pieces in there potentially.”
Eberflus spoke to King before the Bears had signed running back Darrynton Evans, but it sure sounds as though the Bears plan to add another running back to a stocked room that currently features the punishing David Montgomery and the shifty Khalil Herbert.
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Eberflus Also Mentioned Importance of ‘U’ Tight Ends
“Having pieces around (Fields) in the receiver corp, you’ve got to have a No. 1 (wideout), you’ve got to have a No. 2, you’ve got to have a No. 3,” Eberflus told King. “You’ve got to have a tight end that can block the point, you’ve got to have a U-tight end that can move and flex out and create mismatches.”
Third-year starter Cole Kmet has and will likely continue to fill the inline blocking “Y” tight end role, but with Jimmy Graham and Jesse James both free agents, it’s clear Eberflus wants to add a solid route-running TE who is a threat in the passing game. Who that is remains to be seen.
Much could hinge on the team’s new position coach.
The Bears have added former tight end Jim Dray as their new TEs coach. Dray has never coached before, but he’s coming off a two-year stint as offensive quality control coach for the Arizona Cardinals. He spent eight seasons in the NFL, playing in 94 games and starting 38 for the Cardinals, Cleveland Browns, San Francisco 49ers and Buffalo Bills.
If the Bears don’t get every weapon they want for Fields, though, Eberflus and company have a plan to make the most of what they will have.
“If we acquire the players that we want to acquire this year — or we don’t and maybe we only get a couple of pieces because you only can acquire so many pieces in one year — then your offense has to be able to mold and move and adjust to what we have,” Eberflus said. “That’s what’s great about our scheme.”
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