We take a look at where Larry Borom stands on the offensive line going into training camp
The Chicago Bears had a massive problem at offensive tackle in 2021, they had four players miss a combined 30 games due to injury. As a result offensive tackle Larry Borom started eight games during his rookie campaign.
Borom however did not perform at a high level during his rookie year, allowing five sacks over his eight starts. However, no rookie has been more highly regarded than Borom after he was drafted and then played throughout the season. The reason Larry Borom has a circle of protection among Bears fans is because Chicago Bears analyst Hub Arkush liked him coming out of college and talked about him on 670 the score sports talk radio in Chicago as a possible Bears pick. Hub got the pick right and wouldn’t you know it spent the rest of his rookie season defending him and pumping him up.
Wow Bears fans! A couple of weeks ago I talked on SCORE about 3 lesser known OT prospects I loved and Larry Borom was one of them. Now I’m convinced they see Jenkins on left side because Borom won’t be but could play guard too. Best of all, this kid may be nastier than Teven 😳
— Hub Arkush (@Hub_Arkush) May 1, 2021
From this tweet alone the legend of Larry Borom grew. He became a media and fan favorite despite not doing anything as a rookie to allay concerns about being just another fifth round drafted offensive tackle.
Borom wasn’t in line to be the starter at the beginning of the 2021 season. He was only pushed into the starting role due to injuries to Germain Ifedi and Elijah Wilkinson. He didn’t tear it up in training camp, he was essentially another developing player on the roster like any other rookie.
Circumstances changed however and Borom was thrust into a starting role, first at right tackle and then in the middle of the game at left tackle. Being thrust into a starting role is not ideal for any rookie, but Borom didn’t show anything that said he should be the eventual starter as soon as the 2022 season.
In fact Larry Borom struggled mightily giving up a ton of pressure and multiple penalties in his first eight games started. On tape he didn’t impress much more showing more negatives than overall positives. So where does this leave Borom in his second season? Possibly on the verge of being cut if he doesn’t drastically turn things around. He has a few things working against him to start 2022.
First, Borom doesn’t fit the offensive scheme the Bears are implementing. He’s not a lean and nimble athlete at 6-foot-6 335-pounds. Despite his size he’s not a powerful player by any means, relying more on what he thinks he has for athleticism to get by and more often than not getting beat by more athletic players. Borom has a tendency to play high and play slow.
Borom more adeptly fits into the scheme developed by former offensive line coach Juan Castillo. Castillo preferred bigger more massive offensive linemen to work with. This is the opposite of what former NFL offensive lineman turned general manager Ryan Poles wants.
That’s two big strikes working against him right out of the gate. There is no connection between Poles and Borom because he’s not their guy, he’s from the previous regime.
An uphill battle for Larry Borom in training camp?
Borom is already facing an uphill battle with this year’s fifth round drafted rookie in left tackle Braxton Jones. Jones is already running with the first team at left tackle. This could force Borom to compete with last year’s second round pick Teven Jenkins for the right tackle spot. Jones is on equal footing with Borom with both being fifth round drafted OTs. It will be one hell of a competition for Borom to become a starter. He could also be phased out in favor of former Colts Juli’en Davenport given Matt Eberflus’ history with him in Indianapolis.
So what does Borom have working in his favor? Despite all the adversity he faced a year ago, he didn’t quit and played through it. At times he showed some ability to play at an average level. He didn’t whiff as often as some other former Bears OTs. Also working in his favor is the numbers game, the Bears simply don’t have enough offensive tackles on the roster right now. A demotion to the second team seems possible and with his experience playing both left and right tackle a year ago, he could stick on as the swing tackle between the left and right side.
One thing is certain, Borom must show up to camp in top shape and ready to compete because he has little room for error. Despite being a fan, and media favorite he has more things working against him than he has working in his favor. He’ll have to elevate his play to retain his spot on the roster.
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