Brad Biggs: Speedy Kalif Raymond gives Bears a more versatile dynamic in the WR3 role
CHICAGO - Los Angeles Rams coach Sean McVay has been considered one of the NFL's sharpest offensive minds for some time, and that might overshadow his leadership skills to some degree.
McVay has talked about being an "elevator" for staff and players alike. Simply put, it means finding a way to lift those around him to their highest potential.
Listen to coach Ben Johnson discuss how the Chicago Bears will spread the ball around on offense this season, and it's apparent he's saying essentially the same thing - just in a different way.
"I love the challenge of looking at Luther Burden and how we get him the ball and maximize what he does best, along with Rome (Odunze) and Colston (Loveland) and Cole (Kmet)," Johnson said. "We have this whole slew of weapons we're looking to maximize. That's the fun part.
"The plays don't matter so much to me. It's more so how do we get these guys the ball in space to do what they do so well."
The process played out on the Halas Hall practice fields this week during minicamp. Two of the four passes quarterback Caleb Williams completed in a two-minute drill Tuesday went to veteran Kalif Raymond, signed to a one-year, $3.5 million contract in free agency that includes an additional $1.8 million in potential incentives.
Raymond, who will turn 32 on Aug. 8, is an intriguing new piece in the passing game because he played for Johnson in Detroit and brings a little something different to a diverse room of wideouts.
While the 5-foot-8, 180-pound Raymond effectively takes the roster spot of Olamide Zaccheaus as the third receiver, they're different players even if they're of similar stature. Raymond possesses elite speed that makes him a matchup issue, one Johnson will have fun with.
You don't have to search hard to find the highlight of Raymond's 40-yard run in 2023 for the Lions on an end around in Green Bay. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.34 seconds at his pro day when he was coming out of Holy Cross in 2016, and as scouts say, fast remains fast even for someone Raymond's age.
"I don't want to compare (Zaccheaus and Raymond), but I do have a history with Kalif," Johnson said. "You wouldn't know looking at him right now that he's 31 going on 32. He has got this vertical push to his game where he comes raging off the football, and if you're a DB, you can't help but back up. That carries over with all the routes that he runs.
"It's been really good for our young route runners to see because it's really what we want to see across the board. So he's been exactly what we hoped for. It's as good as I've seen him in the spring based on my time with him over the last five years. He's got fresh legs, he's hungry, he's highly motivated right now."
Johnson kept going when discussing the addition of Raymond to a room led by Burden and Odunze and including third-round draft pick Zavion Thomas and Jahdae Walker. So it's easy to envision a solid role for Raymond, who's getting paid double what Zaccheaus earned a year ago.
Zaccheaus, who signed with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency, was on the field for 580 offensive snaps (50.3%) and caught 39 passes for 313 yards and two touchdowns.
"There's a lot that he can do in the offensive game," Johnson said of Raymond. "He's not a gadget guy, but he's unique in his ability to have enough speed to take it over the top, make defenses hurt that way. But also inside the numbers, outside the numbers, he's got elite quickness. You get the ball in his hands, he's excellent running after catch. So he's very, very versatile and I think he's going to be a huge part of what we do."
How it all comes together remains to be seen, but Raymond has plenty of speed to lift the coverage and create voids at the second and third levels for crossers off of play action. He has enough sudden ability to create soft coverage for himself and make plays underneath, and he could be mixed in when the Bears go with 13 personnel (three tight ends), running a post with a tight end drag route behind him.
Raymond found some carryover with the terminology and offensive principles when he arrived from Detroit, but learning the playbook and new teammates has required some extra studying.
"It's been wonderful here," he said. "The transition to a new team is always a thing, even just from a rhythm and routine. I remember the first day in OTAs, I was like: ‘Oh, snap. This is my first practice somewhere else in a long time.' I didn't even know where to go half of the time.
"But I was telling everybody this right now is a time for foundation, 'cause it's (playing in) pajamas right now. All the real stuff starts in training camp. So we're building a foundation so that way, when we hit camp, we can hit the ground running. This is just part of a long process to be ready come Week 1."
Raymond caught only 24 passes for 289 yards last season, but he had a career-high 616 yards in 2022, Johnson's first year as the Lions play caller. It's hard to project numbers for the Bears receivers with Johnson reinforcing his commitment to finding plays that maximize players' talents over slotting them into specific roles.
"There's some guys here that can play some football," Raymond said. "So I'm trying to feed off their juice, their work ethic, you know what I'm saying?"
They're all trying to find the top floor, and in the discussion of what target shares and everything else will look like with DJ Moore gone, Raymond will factor into the equation. Zaccheaus got plenty of opportunities in the third receiver role a year ago, and now the Bears have a more dynamic option whom Johnson trusts.
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