Ben Johnson loves to try to gain any sort of advantage he can when dealing with Packers coach Matt LaFleur, based on last year's games.Johnson hasn't been able to defeat his former boss, Lions coach Dan Campbell, but it's easy to wonder if he's trying to deliver a shot at the Lions with his praise for his former Lions acquisition, wide receiver Kalif Raymond.Raymond, who had been used less and less as a receiver in Detroit, has looked at times in OTAs like a receiver many years younger as he runs routes he knows well from when he was in Johnson's offense in Detroit. "You wouldn't know, looking at him right now that he's 31 going on 32," Johnson said prior to minicamp's start. "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. I think 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 when we came to the building."What better way to deliver a shot than to tell someone, "I've got your discarded player and guess what? He's still really good." Johnson's compliments didn't just end there. He gushed on and on.He's 32 years old and could barely get on the field for a non playoff team last year— Melvin Holmes (@TheMelvinHolmes) March 15, 2026"It's as good as I've seen him in the spring, based on my time with him over the last five years," Johnson said. "I mean, this, he's got fresh legs, he's hungry, he's highly motivated right now. There's a lot that he can do in the offensive game."Raymond had 71 and 64 targets in Detroit in 2021 and 2022, but as Johnson went into his second and third years as offensive coordinator he used the former Broncos undrafted free agent acquisition less and less.In Johnson's last two years, Raymond had 44 and 22 targets, then had 30 last year after Johnson left for Chicago. Raymond continued to contribute as one of the league's better punt returners but his 7.5-yard average last year was his worst since he played for the Giants and Jets in 2017. There's been a lot of talk and hype about the Chicago Bears young pass catchers in Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, Luther Burden III, and others.The name not getting talked about enough is veteran WR Kalif Raymond, who Ben Johnson said will be "a huge part of what we do"🔗👇 pic.twitter.com/lj3CJkRjPL— Kole Noble (@AtoZ_Slaw) June 9, 2026More hype than hopeIf Raymond was as good as Johnson is describing him, it seems unlikely the Lions would have let him leave the Motor City for $5.25 million for this year."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," Johnson said. "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 gonna be a huge part of what we do." Kalif Raymond: “I chose the Bears over the Lions to play in Ben Johnson’s Offense”. You made the right move, welcome to greatness 🐻⬇️ pic.twitter.com/X9iEQfDjv8— BearsMuse (@ChiBearsMuse) March 30, 2026Raymond showed this quickness throughout OTAs in running pass routes against the Bears' secondary and his knowledge of the attack can't hurt. However, receivers his age playing a role as a quick, slot type receiver or even on the outside usually doesn't play out. He'd be more likely to see action in a reserve role as a fourth or fifth receiver at this point. Raymond called Johnson a major reason he's in Chicago."When youve seen the way Ben works, to be able to be near him to work with him, work for him, it's a blessing," Raymond said. It's more than just troiling the Lions, because there's an honest connection and the potential for something much bigger than last year. Bears head coach Ben Johnson knows he'll need to adjust as a play-caller in the 2026 season. pic.twitter.com/JkLqMXKG8t— 104.3 The Score (@thescorechicago) June 9, 2026Sign Up For the Bears Daily Digest - OnSI’s Free Chicago Bears NewsletterAdd us as a preferred source on GoogleFollow