Chicago Bears General Manager Ryan Poles did an incredible job of overhauling the offense. However, it looks as if the critical offensive line is falling apart due to injuries.
There is a lot of hope and excitement surrounding the Chicago Bears. This offseason, General Manager Ryan Poles did a great job of rebuilding this roster. It appears now that the team has a strong, full lineup. They once again have a tough defense, their special teams could be special, and the offense looks like it can put up big points this season.
That last part may be taking a hit, however. While the Chicago Bears have a stable of talented wide receivers, tight ends, and a strong running game, one critical unit has a huge question: the offensive line.
No one knows who will be the center. Ryan Bates and Coleman Shelton are locked in a battle for the starting job. Nate Davis cannot seem to have a full practice. Teven Jenkins, who has missed 20 games in the past three seasons, is injured again. Right tackle Darnell Wright has not been practicing for about a week.
Let’s not forget that rookie left tackle Kiran Amegadjie has not been practicing for three weeks. He was placed on the non-football injury list due to an injury he suffered last year while playing at Yale. The thought was that he’d be healthy by now but it has not happened. He was supposed to challenge Braxton Jones for the starting left tackle job, or at least add great depth.
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The offensive line is a unit that is in tatters. Without proper protection, rookie quarterback Caleb Williams cannot showcase the abilities that made many feel he is a generational quarterback. He cannot get the ball to his talented targets if he is constantly running for his life or getting sacked. Additionally, the running backs won’t find the open holes to run through.
The problems at the offensive line also affect the defense. There are some defensive players that the coaches need to evaluate. The Chicago Bears are thin at defensive tackle. Eberflus and the defensive coaches want to see who can step up and help in a reserve role. Playing against the starters would show how good they are. Instead, they are now facing the second and third-string offensive linemen.
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The Chicago Bears might be at the point where they need to go out and find a free-agent offensive lineman, especially on the interior. I’ve advocated for the signing of center Connor Williams. Williams can settle things in the interior. He is a Pro Bowl-level player who can take over at center and help the rookie Williams’ development.
Should the #Bears sign Connor Williams? ? pic.twitter.com/OGnbuvBMeu
— Chicago Bears Updates (@chbearsupdates) August 5, 2024
Additionally, having Williams at center frees up Bates and Shelton. Should Davis and Jenkins be out for an extended time, they can step in and do a good job. The battle for center would be over, and the two can work on just being as good as they can at guard.
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The Chicago Bears are just four days away from their second preseason game, against the Buffalo Bills. The plan was to have Williams make his debut. However, the coaches might not want to put him in danger with lower-level linemen. Eberflus said as much earlier.
I just think that we’re going to have a plan in place. The alignments in front of him is important. That will definitely dictate what’s going on. But we have a plan in place of what we’re going to do.
Even when healthy, the offensive line struggled. In the first two days of padded practice, the unit had 10 false starts and two delay of games. The starting defensive line has been dominating the offensive line during practices.
Many clamor for the Chicago Bears to look for a free-agent edge rusher. The way things are going, however, it might be more important that they find offensive line help instead. After all, Poles made all these changes for Williams. He cannot let him down by not getting him the protection he needs to succeed.
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