Bears general manager Ryan Poles added to the offense to start the second day of the legal tampering period with Chicago reportedly signing Lions receiver and returner Kalif Raymond.
The Chicago Bears didn’t add any new players on offense to start the first day of the legal tampering period. That changed early on Tuesday, after it was reported that the Bears are signing Lions wide receiver and returner Kalif Raymond on a one-year deal.
Raymond has spent the last five seasons in Detroit, and in his latest year, the veteran receiver caught 24 passes on 30 targets for 289 yards and one touchdown.
In the Week 18 regular season finale against the Bears, Raymond caught three passes on three targets for 52 yards and finished with his highest-graded game of the season, according to Pro Football Focus.
From 2022-24, Ben Johnson was Raymond’s offensive play caller, and Raymond had his most receiving yards in his career (616) during the first season Johnson called plays in Detroit.
Throughout his career, Raymond has played out wide (955 total snaps) and in the slot (693 total snaps), according to PFF. He does provide Johnson with some versatility at the position. Here is what Raymond’s snap totals looked like when Johnson called the plays: 338 slot and 376 out wide.
Now Raymond, 31, will join a Bears pass-catching core that features Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III, Coltston Loveland, Cole Kmet and Jahdae Walker. How Raymond was used in Detroit may not directly impact how Johnson will utilize him in Chicago.
An obvious place that the 5-foot-8, 180-pound receiver will contribute is in the return game. Devin Duvernay was the primary return man last season for the Bears, but he is now a free agent. Raymond had 32 punt returns last season for 241 yards, including a touchdown return against the Cleveland Browns in Week 4. He also added six kick returns for 161 yards.
In his career, Raymond has three punt return touchdowns.
In the last week alone, the Bears were subtracting from their roster as the receiver position, starting with trading DJ Moore to the Buffalo Bills and then in free agency with Olamide Zaccheaus signing with the Falcons.
Raymond provides Johnson with someone that is familiar with his offense and also isn't somebody that should realistically get a huge target load over the course of the season.
The Bears needed to replenish the receiver position, and did so with a signing that won't interfere with the development of Odunze, Burden and Loveland. That trio will make up most of the Bears' receiving production, but having a veteran like Raymond does give the receiver room someone that the young players can turn to for advice about Johnson's complex offense.