LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Rome Odunze earned the respect of Caleb Williams last season as they battled in the Pac-12. He drew the attention of six-time Pro Bowl teammate Keenan Allen during a workout in early April. And he has since received praise from his new Bears coaches. 

Since stepping onto the practice field with the Bears, Odunze has made a strong impression on his new team and proven he’s ready for whatever challenge comes his way. But that doesn’t necessarily mean he would like training camp to begin this week. 

“Hell no,” Odunze said with a smile after concluding the offseason program at Halas Hall. “I wouldn’t be good with that. No.  

“I need this month to go get right and make sure this transition into the league is going to be swift and smooth as it can be.” 

There’s always more work Odunze believes can be done. 

In large part, that type of mindset is why the Bears so deeply coveted Odunze with the ninth overall pick in the NFL Draft. They identified a prospect who is eager to combine his natural talent with an immense work ethic.  

The Bears broke the huddle for the last time in their offseason program on Wednesday morning in Lake Forest, this after conducting a light workout with rookies. Veterans were dismissed last week following the conclusion of minicamp. The team will report for training camp July 19, with rookies arriving days earlier. 

During that time away from the Bears, Odunze will be working plenty. He expects to work out at Halas Hall — “It’s ‘Free 99,’ so that’s the best price,” he said – plus plans are being made to catch passes from Williams away from Chicago.  

Odunze is even preparing to get his parents involved in his route trees while back home in Las Vegas. 

“Mom is going to have to go to work,” Odunze said. “She’s going to have to be out there in that 115 degrees. She already knows that. But it’s all love. They want the best for me.” 

When asked whether any individual player has caught his eye during the offseason program, Matt Eberflus could’ve shied away from the question with a mum, coach-like response. Instead, he didn’t hesitate by pointing to Odunze’s play. 

Odunze has established a strong grasp of the Bears’ offensive scheme, as well as a great comfort in his own role alongside Allen, DJ Moore and this bolstered core. That means play-caller Shane Waldron can start forming his plans for the passing game without needing to hold anything back from Odunze. 

“Any receiver has that value of being able to multiple spots in the lineup and line up in different alignments and run a varied route tree, I think it is a bonus for an offense,” Waldron said of Odunze. “I think it allows less tips and tells for defense and I feel like with us with Rome and DJ, Keenan, Gerald (Everett), Cole (Kmet), we got a different group of guys that can all be versatile in what they’re asked to do. 

“(Odunze) is able to pick up an offense right away, really understand all three of the receiver spots right away, so he’s not sitting there locked into one thing. He’s really picking this offense up as a conceptual learner, which I think only helps for the road in the regular season when you start moving guys around.” 

After selecting Williams as the first overall pick in this NFL Draft, the Bears had to nervously wait for the ninth selection. They had an eye on Odunze all along, worried he would fall off the board in those picks just before them. Ryan Poles was ready to trade up but those in the Bears’ draft room at Halas Hall warned against it, believing Odunze would be there.  

In the back bowels of the NFL Draft in Detroit, word went to Williams that Odunze managed to fall and would join him in Chicago. They have since gone to work establishing a connection, one that’s built on their shared desire to be great together. 

“The guy wants to play,” Williams said. “Who as a competitor, as a player, being in this position, his position – you have great guys around you, you have all these things around you, tools, great coaches and great facilities, all these other things – why would you want to necessarily wait?  

“You can grow throughout. You can learn from other people’s mistakes. I believe that’s been his mindset, is ‘I’m going to be able to play. I’m going to be on the field. But I’m also going to take in and soak in all I can from the guys like Keenan that’s been doing it for 12-13 years. That old guy.’ His pace is smooth. Trying to learn everything is being smooth, just like Rome is.  

“But he also understands that the time is now. And you got to keep working, you got to keep growing through all the growing pains, the bad days, the good days. I think that’s his mindset.” 

When Odunze arrived at Washington as a true freshman in 2020, he looked up the program’s record books with an eye on the all-time receiving numbers. He left setting the Huskies’ new single-season record for receiving yards with 1,640 recorded last year.  

Odunze already has set his sights on records he can chase in the NFL. He’s looking to surpass Puka Nacua’s rookie record of 1,486 receiving yards last season, plus Brandon Marshall’s franchise record of 1,508 yards in 2012. Odunze has also taken notice of Johnny Morris’ place atop the Bears’ all-time receiving records. 

When Odunze is working to be great before his rookie season, he’s driven by these lofty goals. 

“I think that’s important for every player to set those goals and strive for the highest of the high,” Odunze said. 

“I’ll hopefully leave the Bears organization better than I found it. And if I have my name on some of those records, I feel like that’s just one facet of doing so.” 

Williams lays foundation in offseason 

When Shane Waldron weighed the offer to become offensive coordinator for the Bears, he was doing so without clarity on how his unit would take shape. 

The Bears had not formed their conviction on Caleb Williams by that point in January, though he was becoming the leading candidate for the No. 1 overall pick. Waldron accepted the job while preparing to form his own belief on Williams in the pre-draft process. 

Waldron was part of the Bears’ brass to first meet with Williams at the NFL Combine in late February, then flew out to Los Angeles for the pro day workout and private dinner. Williams then came to Halas Hall in early April for a top-30 visit and made a lasting impression on Waldron. 

Since getting Williams as the Bears’ starting quarterback, Waldron has reaffirmed those hopes along the way. 

“His competitive nature, his willingness to learn, his desire to know the why on everything that is happening so that he’s not just out there robotic, trying to just run a play,” Waldron said. “He’s out there really learning it, really understanding it, knowing there is a long way to go in terms of going from one offense to another but not skipping any of the steps and knowing in order to achieve greatness. He has to put in a lot of hard work, and he’s backed that up with what he’s demonstrated so far in the time we have been around him.” 

After selecting Williams with the top pick in the draft, the Bears immediately named him their starting quarterback. It was part of their plan for Williams’ development track. 

Williams has encountered challenges to this point, including struggles with pre-snap cadences and these fierce battles against the Bears’ starting defense. But there have been days in which Williams shined and made a strong impression on his team. 

“What he’s gotten to do this offseason has been outstanding,” Matt Eberflus said. “Taking him from knowing just a little bit about the scheme from that Pro Day at USC all the way to where he is now, and it’s really good. He’s been able to really refine his understanding of the scheme.” 

Williams will continue working on his mastery of the Bears’ scheme before reporting to training camp in July. By that point, the pads will start coming on, the pace of practice will pick up and the challenges will be greater. 

But the offseason program for Williams was about establishing himself to lead the Bears forward. He leaves Lake Forest pleased with the work thus far. 

“From November 18 to April 25 of not being on a team, you realize how much you miss it and being in the locker room in those small moments,” Williams said. “So, making sure we’re taking advantage of that.  

“Just gaining and building more confidence and trust throughout the Bears and everybody here, but also myself within the offense, building that belief, that trust, that confidence and swagger to go out there and play.” 

‘Big Dog’ back for Year 19 

Veteran tight end Marcedes Lewis was selected in the first round of the 2006 NFL Draft, which included names like Jay Cutler, Devin Hester, Brandon Marshall, Andrew Whitworth and DeMeco Ryans. 

Lewis, who turned 40 last month, is two years younger than Ryan Poles will become the oldest player in Bears history this season. He signed back in Chicago to play out the 19^th year of his esteemed career. 

Longevity is only part of why the Bears revere Lewis. 

“Leadership,” Eberflus said. “Yeah, he’s a tremendous leader. He’s got a great way about him, he’s got great wisdom and discernment, and he helps everybody in the building — not just the players. He helps me in terms of the feel for the team, where everybody is, the players. He has been a tremendous leader since I’ve known him, and we’re certainly excited to have him back.” 

On the field, Lewis has earned the reputation as a strong blocking presence – one who fits the Bears’ outside-zone running scheme well. He needs to play just three more games to serve the most games of any tight end in NFL history. 

“It is remarkable when you think about that,” Eberflus said. “There’s normal human beings, and there’s other people that play 17, 18, 19 years in the NFL. So, not sure how to explain that – a lot of that’s God given in terms of how God put him together, in terms of being healthy and all that, but he works at it. He works at the nutrition part of it, the strength and conditioning and, more importantly, he works at the flexibility. I think that’s where he really gains his edge, is the flexibility and balance that he has and what he works on. He does some different things that way, and he’s going to be great for our locker room.” 

New title for King 

Proud of the work this offseason, Ryan Poles has led the Bears through some notable promotions in restructuring his football operations. 

That includes naming Jeff King the Bears’ senior director of player personnel. King, who joined the Bears as a scouting intern in 2015, has risen up the ranks and become a trusted figure alongside Poles.  

King interviewed for the Chargers’ general manager vacancy in January. He along with assistant general manager Ian Cunningham should once again be coveted candidates next offseason – especially if the Bears emerge as a contender this season. 

The Bears also named Trey Koziol as the director of player personnel, promoted Breck Ackley to director of college scouting and hired DJ Hord as their new director of pro scouting. 

Bears head athletic trainer Andre Tucker added the title of senior director of sports medicine and player health. He has been with the team since 2018. 

Countdown to camp 

The Bears had to walk along a driveway to the back practice fields at Halas Hall, with large semi-trucks lined along the curb. They were unloading bleachers and fresh sod to the practice fields for the start of training camp. 

The Bears will hold nine practices open to the general public. Entry is free but a ticket is required for access. Those tickets become available July 9 on the team’s official website.