Chicago Bears: Heat is on Bobby Massie and Charles Leno Jr. in 2017

The Chicago Bears must get better production in 2017 from offensive tackles Bobby Massie and Charles Leno Jr.

The Chicago Bears are rolling out two new quarterbacks in the upcoming 2017 season: Mike Glennon and Mitchell Trubisky. If either one is going to have any kind of success, the offensive line — particularly offensive tackles Charles Leno Jr. and Bobby Massie — must improve their play. The Bears actually allowed the seventh-fewest sacks in the league in 2016 (28), but anyone watching the team knows that that number could have been much higher if it wasn’t for Jay Cutler, Brian Hoyer or Matt Barkley running around.

Leno, entering his fourth NFL season, made strides in 2016, but he’s still far from what a prototypical left tackle should be. The coaches seem to like him, and here’s hoping that he makes significant strides this season. However, the amount of success stories about seventh-round picks becoming Pro Bowl left tackles are few and far between.

Massie, who signed a three-year, $18 million contract last offseason, had a disappointing 2016 season. As the starting right tackle, he struggled with consistency, and it was clear that the Bears did not get the best return on their investment.

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Pro Football Focus Edge gave both Leno and Massie solid grades (71.2 and 72.0, respectively), but they have been critiqued by many for their poor grading of offensive linemen. Sometimes the “eye test” works best, and it’s apparent that much more is needed from these two players.

If Leno and Massie continue to have their struggles in 2017, the Bears could move on without significant financial repercussions. For one thing, Leno is an impending free agent and the Bears could simply let him walk away after the season. Furthermore, despite the first impressions that Massie’s contract gives, the Bears could cut him after this season and save $5.6 million against the cap (with only $500,000 in dead money).

The problem with moving on from these players this season is that there are no “in-house” candidates to replace them. Quite frankly, there’s not even any player on the roster who could push Leno or Massie for their jobs. Tom Compton, Bradley Sowell and rookie Jordan Morgan (who is probably best suited for guard) are the main depth pieces, but none of them pose any real threat to the incumbent tackles.

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The 2017 season is probably a make-or-break year for Leno and Massie. After investing $18.5 million guaranteed on Glennon and the second-overall pick on Trubisky, I’m sure that the Bears don’t want to see their quarterbacks spending more time on their backs than in the end zone. The Bears’ patience for their offensive tackles will probably wear-thin if that happens, so the pressure is on Leno and Massie to improve—and do so in a hurry.