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The Chicago Bears added depth at wide receiver with the expected signing of Kalif Raymond to a one-year contract, reuniting him with his former Detroit Lions offensive coordinator, Ben Johnson, and wide receivers coach, Antwaan Randle-El.
Chicago has a young duo of wideouts in Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. But the Bears were in need of receiver depth following the trade of DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills and Olamide Zaccheaus signing with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency. 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.
We spoke to Josh Helmer of Lions Wire, who gave us the rundown on what we can expect from the Bears' new receiver and why he could be a good fit for Chicago.
Josh Helmer: The Bears are adding an explosive punt returner in Kalif Raymond and someone that can help out in a variety of places at wide receiver. At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Raymond looks like a prototypical slot receiver. But, the Holy Cross alum did more than that in the Motor City, serving as a valuable depth wide receiver piece and showcasing his versatility to handle multiple receiving roles in Detroit.
JH: Raymond is a potential game-breaking return specialist for the Bears. Teams will have to respect his ability to house a return at any point in time. That ability alone is probably worth the one-year, $5.1 million price tag. Raymond is a two-time second-team All-Pro (2022, 2024) and led the NFL in punt return yards in 2024. During his five-season stay in Detroit, Raymond returned three punts for touchdowns.
JH: Raymond can provide a little bit offensively, but don't expect Raymond to be an every-down receiver. His size creates some limitations in terms of his contested catch ability and he only logged 358 offensive snaps last season, per Pro Football Focus. A foot injury limited Raymond to just 12 games in 2024, but it shouldn't be considered a concern moving forward.
JH: Raymond was a solid third or fourth wide receiver option over the past couple seasons for the Lions. His versatility was a bonus and he was one of the league's top return men. A reliable target, Raymond pulled in 24-of-30 targets a season ago. Raymond was a fan favorite in Detroit.
JH: Raymond gets to reunite with Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who he spent three seasons with from 2022-24. Raymond reeled in 47 grabs for 616 yards in 2022. He also won't be asked to do much more than what he did and provided the Lions. The Bears are in a good place with their top two receivers in Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III and that resembles the situation that Raymond had in Detroit where he played alongside star pass-catchers in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Caleb Williams will love some of the shorter fields that Raymond can provide in the return game and maybe a house call mixed in there, too.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears to sign Kalif Raymond: What Chicago's getting in new receiver
Continue reading...
Chicago has a young duo of wideouts in Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III. But the Bears were in need of receiver depth following the trade of DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills and Olamide Zaccheaus signing with the Atlanta Falcons in free agency. 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.
We spoke to Josh Helmer of Lions Wire, who gave us the rundown on what we can expect from the Bears' new receiver and why he could be a good fit for Chicago.
What kind of player are the Bears getting in Kalif Raymond?
Josh Helmer: The Bears are adding an explosive punt returner in Kalif Raymond and someone that can help out in a variety of places at wide receiver. At 5-foot-8, 180 pounds, Raymond looks like a prototypical slot receiver. But, the Holy Cross alum did more than that in the Motor City, serving as a valuable depth wide receiver piece and showcasing his versatility to handle multiple receiving roles in Detroit.
What’s Raymond's biggest strength?
JH: Raymond is a potential game-breaking return specialist for the Bears. Teams will have to respect his ability to house a return at any point in time. That ability alone is probably worth the one-year, $5.1 million price tag. Raymond is a two-time second-team All-Pro (2022, 2024) and led the NFL in punt return yards in 2024. During his five-season stay in Detroit, Raymond returned three punts for touchdowns.
What’s Raymond's biggest weakness?
JH: Raymond can provide a little bit offensively, but don't expect Raymond to be an every-down receiver. His size creates some limitations in terms of his contested catch ability and he only logged 358 offensive snaps last season, per Pro Football Focus. A foot injury limited Raymond to just 12 games in 2024, but it shouldn't be considered a concern moving forward.
What impact did Raymond have during his time with the Lions?
JH: Raymond was a solid third or fourth wide receiver option over the past couple seasons for the Lions. His versatility was a bonus and he was one of the league's top return men. A reliable target, Raymond pulled in 24-of-30 targets a season ago. Raymond was a fan favorite in Detroit.
Why do you think Raymond could be a good fit for the Bears?
JH: Raymond gets to reunite with Bears head coach Ben Johnson, who he spent three seasons with from 2022-24. Raymond reeled in 47 grabs for 616 yards in 2022. He also won't be asked to do much more than what he did and provided the Lions. The Bears are in a good place with their top two receivers in Rome Odunze and Luther Burden III and that resembles the situation that Raymond had in Detroit where he played alongside star pass-catchers in Amon-Ra St. Brown and Jameson Williams. Caleb Williams will love some of the shorter fields that Raymond can provide in the return game and maybe a house call mixed in there, too.
This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears to sign Kalif Raymond: What Chicago's getting in new receiver
Continue reading...
