The Chicago Bears lost some key veterans this offseason, especially in the wide receiver room with DJ Moore traded to the Buffalo Bills and Olamide Zaccheaus and Devin Duvernay departing in free agency. Which is why Chicago made the move to bring in former Detroit Lions wideout Kalif Raymond.
Raymond spent the last five seasons with the Lions, where he had 171 receptions for 2,185 yards and eight touchdowns in 77 games with 29 starts. He also served as a return specialist, which fills the hole vacated by Duvernay’s loss. Raymond is a speedy receiver who’s expected to serve as the third wideout behind Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III in a passing game that also features rising star Colston Loveland at tight end.
Not only does Raymond bring experience, having played for Ben Johnson for three years in Detroit, but he also brings a veteran presence to a young receivers room featuring Odunze, Burden and Jahdae Walker. Johnson is hoping Raymond can serve as an example for the offense about what it means to sustain success in the NFL.
“I’m hoping how he conducts himself in the locker room and on the practice field is contagious for the rest of our group, and they look to him as a model for what it takes to succeed and have longevity in this league,” Johnson said in an interview with The Athletic’s Dan Pompei. “We’ve got a young quarterback (Caleb Williams), Rome Odunze going into his third year, Luther Burden and Colston Loveland going into their second. You need to balance out the youth and energy with a seasoned head, and that’s what ’Lif is.”
The Bears lost a good amount of veteran leadership this offseason with the departures of Moore, safety Kevin Byard and linebacker Tremaine Edmunds. So adding Raymond to the mix to serve as that leader, especially in Moore’s absence, should help keep the younger players in check as Chicago looks to return to the postseason in Johnson’s second season.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: What Ben Johnson hopes Kalif Raymond brings to the Bears
