DJ Moore is ready to run with Bears' bolstered core on offense: 'Endless playmakers in there'

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (670 The Score) — During a workout before the NFL Draft in April, Chicago receiver DJ Moore was caught by surprise as he lined up alongside quarterback Caleb Williams and receiver Rome Odunze, who at the time were still prospects and not yet members of the Bears.

Williams and Odunze were asking questions about the Bears’ offense and their potential roles in the system. Moore raised an eyebrow and cracked a smile as he heard the two eager draft prospects who were soon bound for Chicago.

“Because at that point, it was still like, (general manager Ryan Poles) was playing that game where I was not supposed to know who we we’re drafting, but we all knew who we’re drafting,” Moore said, who was also joined by Bears receiver Keenan Allen at the workout. “It was kind of iffy, but we all knew what was going on.

“I was just helping (Williams) along, he was asking questions, Rome was asking questions. I was like, ‘Do y’all know something we don’t know out here and you’re both coming?' And then we ended up taking both, so it worked out.”

The Bears selected Williams at No. 1 overall in the 2024 NFL Draft, as they had long planned this offseason. By that point, Williams had already begun to grasp offensive coordinator Shane Waldron’s scheme and was preparing for his role as Chicago’s new starting quarterback.

But the selection of Odunze wasn’t certain by any means. The Bears were hopeful he would fall down to their second selection at No. 9 overall, and fate turned out their way.

Now, the Bears have a dynamic trio at wide receiver with Moore, Allen and Odunze as the primary targets for Williams.

"You got endless playmakers in there,” Moore said. “It’s probably going to be a race to 1,000 now. I don’t know who’s going to get there first, but it’s going to be a race."

Under Waldron's guidance, the Bears will have some continuity in their scheme from former offensive coordinator Luke Getsy's system. They'll still be utilizing the outside-zone running system that has been in place, with personnel that's suited for that style of play.

The Bears also signed running back D’Andre Swift to a three-year, $24-million deal in March and added veteran tight end Gerald Everett on a one-year contract, forming a strong tandem at that position with Cole Kmet.

With all that in mind, head coach Matt Eberflus sees the Bears being a difficult team for opponents to defend.

“When you have one player in situational football, and even on first down based on formation, you certainly can tilt your coverage to that player to eliminate that player the best way we can,” Eberflus said. “And when you have other guys that are on the opposite side of that — for example, if you had three receivers on one side and Cole on the other side and you want to tilt the coverage over there, well, you still have Cole one-on-one backside. And that's for all of our players. That's what weapons does for you offensively. It really balances out the defense and makes them true and honest rather than tilting the field one way or the other to a star player.”

The Bears have held three practices during OTAs this week. They'll conduct three more next week and a three-day veteran minicamp in early June, providing Williams with more opportunities to work alongside his new teammates.

Moore knows well that Williams is eager to improve and make an impression on the Bears.

“You can see that the natural leadership is there,” Moore said. “The natural arm talent is there. Everything about him, it’s just always a positive thing. Even when he has a bad play, he’s looking to learn real fast right after. That's all you can ask of him, for him to quickly forget but also learn at the same time.”

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago’s sports scene and more for 670TheScore.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 .