Chicago Bears: Offensive line is key for 2018 success

In order for the Chicago Bears to improve their 29th-ranked scoring offense, the play of the offensive line needs to be better in 2018.

Injuries and poor play ravaged the offensive line of the Chicago Bears in 2017. Starting guards Josh Sitton and Kyle Long missed a combined 10 starts, and right tackle Bobby Massie missed one. Cody Whitehair was forced to play center, right guard, and left guard — all in one game. Top interior reserve Eric Kush tore his hamstring and missed the entire season.

Charles Leno was solid at left tackle, and when healthy, Long proved to still be one of the better guards in the league. Whitehair was probably the best offensive linemen on the team in 2017, but even he had some trouble with snaps early on. Sitton was average and signed with the Miami Dolphins this offseason, and Massie continued to disappoint at right tackle.

In order for the Bears offense to take-off in 2018, the offensive line must play better. The team drafted James Daniels in the second-round and he seems to be the early favorite to start at left guard. Daniels had impressive tape during his time at Iowa, and with Harry Hiestand on board as the offensive line coach, Daniels hopefully will be a serviceable starter.

Leno and Whitehair should continue to both improve. Leno isn’t an elite left tackle by any means, but he has shown glimpses of his upside and is just 26 years old. The biggest thing for Leno is to improve his consistency and learn to use his 6-4, 304-pound frame to his advantage. Whitehair is an excellent pivot-man on the offensive line and hasn’t missed a start in his first two NFL seasons.

Perhaps the biggest question mark on the offensive line is on the right side, where Long is working his way back from three offseason surgeries and Bobby Massie has seen his play dip in each of the past two seasons. When healthy, Long is a premier guard; however, he’s missed 15 starts in the past two seasons and has started all 16 games only twice in his career. Massie has been a disappointment at right tackle, yet unfortunately, he faces virtually no competition for his job.

Harry Hiestand is one of the best offensive line coaches in football. He should expedite the growth of Leno, Whitehair, and Daniels, and hopefully will help turn Massie into (at least) an average starter. The offensive line should also benefit from Matt Nagy’s offense, which features more quick passes and the creativity to keep opposing defenses off-balance.

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The Bears have greatly improved their skill positions on offense this offseason, but that won’t matter if the offensive line falters.  If the Bears are going to improve their 29th-ranked scoring offense, it all starts with better play up front.