Chicago Bears roster: Position group previews ahead of training camp
Chicago Bears Offensive Line
As I mentioned before, one of the biggest priorities of Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace had was overhauling the offensive line. He brought in free agents and drafted multiple offensive linemen to create the same type of competition he had for the kicker’s job a couple of years ago.
The Bears drafted Teven Jenkins in the second round of this year’s draft and Larry Borom in the fifth round. These two players add some nastiness and meanness to a line that really needs it.
There is a possibility that both rookies could be starters when the season begins. The Bears cut both of last year’s starters, Charles Leno Jr and Bobby Massie. Jenkins likely doesn’t have any competition while Borom will fight it out with Germain Ifedi, who re-signed for another season.
It is a risk to have two rookie starters on the line. The Bears, however, feel confident that Jenkins and Borom can step up quickly. Even if Borom doesn’t win the starting right tackle spot, he’ll provide good depth until he’s ready to take over as the starter.
James Daniels, the highest-rated offensive lineman last season before a torn pectoral muscle ended his season prematurely, returns to action. He appears to be fully healed and ready to go. He was the left guard last season but will start out on the right side, where he played in his rookie season and performed well.
Late last season, the coaching staff seemed to find a good combination to solidify the interior part of the line. They had Cody Whitehair at left guard, Sam Mustipher at center and Alex Bars at right guard. With Daniels coming back, Bars will give the Bears excellent rotation depth. Mustipher is a very underrated player. Despite that, if he does take a step back and falters, Whitehair and Daniels were both centers so either one could take over.
The Bears signed Elijah Wilkinson, formerly of the Denver Broncos. He could play either guard or tackle and has a lot of starting experience. That gives the Bears even more flexibility. Let’s not forget that Arlington Hambright and Lachavious Simmons, the team’s two offensive linemen drafted in the 2020 draft.
All in all, the Bears will have a lot of competition for a spot on the line. That only makes each player better and gives the team much better depth. In addition, most of the players can play multiple positions along the line. That helps in case of injuries. The team has multiple choices to go with in case someone goes down. We’ve seen how an injury really disrupted the line in the last few years. This line will finally be a positive instead of a negative.