Chicago Bears fans are feeling optimistic about the franchise's future now that the Ben Johnson era is officially underway.
The former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator has been one of the top NFL coaching prospects for years, leaving time to tell what he can do in the Windy City. Johnson has already earned plenty of praise for his early coaching decisions, which include hiring the likes of defensive coordinator Dennis Allen and offensive coordinator Declan Doyle.
As with any coaching changes, the Bears said goodbye to some old faces to make room for new ones. Having said that, some members of the 2024 coaching staff were retained — including a name that should've been kicked to the curb.
Bears Made a Mistake Retaining TEs Coach Jim Dray
Bears tight ends coach Jim Dray is one of the holdovers from last season's staff who should've been released last month. The former Stanford Cardinal joined ex-Chicago HC Matt Eberflus' staff ahead of the 2022 campaign after working as an offensive quality control coach for the Cleveland Browns (2019) and Arizona Cardinals (2020-21).
Although he played a big role in Cole Kmet's breakout, Dray should've lost his job based on how the Bears' TE room performed last year.
For starters, Chicago's tight ends barely produced offensively in 2024. Kmet went from having 73 receptions for 719 receiving yards and six touchdowns in 2023 to posting a 47-474-4 state line just one year later. Fellow TEs Gerald Everett and Marcedes Lewis also struggled to move the needle, combing for just 38 yards on nine catches.
Everett and Lewis — the Bears' primary blocking TEs — also struggled to provide adequate ground protection, finishing with forgettable run grades of 47.9 and 58.0, respectively, on Pro Football Focus.
Discipline was also an issue among the Bears' TEs as Kmet and Lewis each finished the year with four penalties apiece — tied for the 11th-most among tight ends in 2024. It's hard to have faith in Dray's coaching when his players' bone-headed decisions are constantly coming back to bite the team.
Some of the tight end-related failures can be chalked up to ex-OC Shane Waldron's horrendous planning. At the same time, Dray must accept some of the blame — especially with how big of a step back the TE room took last season.
Hopefully, the 2024 campaign was a one-off dud and Dray gets the Bears TEs back on track this offseason. Helping the likes of Kmet & Co. return to form could be a major key in unlocking the offense's full potential in September.