The 2023 season is shaping up to be an exciting one for the Chicago Bears. General manary Ryan Poles spent the start of the offseason using nearly $100 million in salary cap space and 10 draft picks to start the rebuild in earnest.
Yes, Poles took over the latest rebuild last year. However, he just laid the foundation for a solid roster by shipping out popular veterans with bloated contracts. He replaced them with a bunch of contract-friendly deals to clear all that money.
Poles picked up some draft picks by making good trades. With the team losing their final 10 games, they somehow found a way to finish with the top overall pick. That was critical because as a result, Poles was able to make a blockbuster trade that picked up more draft picks and one of the top wide receivers in the NFL, D.J. Moore.
Now, with training camp about to begin, hope and excitement about the Chicago Bears is very high. Pole did his job of assembling the roster. Sure, his job is not completely done. However, this is a completely different-looking team from last year.
Now it is the coaching staff’s job to get the most out of the players. We get a chance to see how the new players perform together. The Bears have more stars on the roster and things should be more fun.
As we wait for the Chicago Bears to start training camp we will preview the position groups. First up is the offensive line.
The offensive line has taken its lumps over the years. It seems that every season we are told that the unit is improved yet it doesn’t happen. Poles, having been an offensive lineman in his playing days, understands the importance of the unit and what it takes to build a good one.
All eyes will be focused on the Bears’ offensive line, which is expected to play a significant role in their success. Poles made only two moves but those moves overhauled the lineup.
The first move was signing guard Nate Davis. Davis is a right guard so that meant moving Teven Jenkins. Jenkins, who switched from left tackle to right guard last season and did well there, had to switch again. He is now the left guard. Cody Whitehair, who was the left guard, switched over to center.
With that switch, the Bears let go of Sam Mustipher, who struggled at the position. Additionally, Lucas Patrick, the one who was supposed to be the starting center last season before injuries derailed him, became an important backup in the interior line.
The second move was selecting right tackle Darnell Wright. He is a big athletic lineman who can also maul edge rushers. After Braxton Jones had a good season last year and looking to build on his success, the Bears may have found themselves young, good, and athletic book-end tackles. That is critical for the unit’s success.
The Bears have a solid line up front…finally
Many have earmarked this line-up as one of the Chicago Bears’ most promising in recent years, featuring both a mix of seasoned veterans and promising young talents. Whitehair is the old man at 31. He will be counted on as a key leader.
Let’s delve a bit deeper and offer a preview of what’s to come from Chicago’s offensive front.
At the center position, the Bears have a solid and reliable figure in Whitehair, who, with his previous years’ performance, has proven himself as a steady and proficient player. He has spent his career switching over from center to guard. The last time he played center full-time was in 2018 when he made the Pro Bowl.
His agility, good technique, and brute strength have allowed him to consistently win battles in the trenches, earning him high praise from coaches and teammates alike. Now that the Bears have three linemen with two years or less of experience, Whitehair’s experience will be big in helping them develop.
The guards, both left and right, have displayed notable progress. Jenkins, a player known for his toughness and physicality, has been a crucial part of the Bears’ offensive strategy. Meanwhile, Davis has been a solid and dependable player in his four seasons in the league.
On the flanks, the Chicago Bears’ offensive tackles have a massive responsibility on their shoulders. Notably, Jones has been a stalwart figure, providing good protection for quarterback Justin Fields‘ blindside. He was the Bears’ fifth-round pick who was just looking to make the roster when the offseason camps began. He quickly moved up the ranks and ended up being the starter by the time training camp began. He kept the job and ended up playing every snap in his rookie season.
Jones’s ability to nullify oncoming pass rushers is quite commendable. Yes, he still has some development to make. He had trouble with the bull rush so he felt the need to get stronger this offseason. He will use his experience to build on and get even better.
Wright was the diamond of the draft. His footwork and hand placement techniques are excellent. He has the strength to take on bull rushes and the quickness to keep speedy pass rushers in front of him.
Depth is equally important in the offensive line as injuries can strike at any moment, and the Bears have focused on building a solid roster of backups as well. Both Jenkins and Davis have had some injuries in their career. Additionally, Whitehair missed five games last season. Having Patrick, a starting-caliber lineman, is a huge asset. Not only can he play some extended snaps during games to help keep the starters fresh but also step in and take over as a starter.
Larry Borom took some criticism last season after he struggled as a starter. Perhaps having him in a backup role will do wonders for him. Like Patrick, he has starting experience. That will be big in case he needs to step in. Furthermore, he has experience at both tackle spots so that is useful as well.
The Bears also have Dieter Eiselen, Alex Leatherwood, J’Tyre Carter, and Doug Kramer. Eiselen is a three-year player who can provide solid backup help. Leatherwood is a first-round pick from 2021 who is trying to put his tools together.
Carter and Kramer were players Poles selected in last year’s draft. He and the coaching staff are high on them. They could eventually become candidates for starting spots.
The key to the offensive line’s success will be how well they work together as a unit. Cohesion and chemistry are critical in the offensive trenches, and if the Bears can effectively gel as a unit, they could become one of the most formidable offensive lines in the league.
While it’s too early to predict with certainty, the signs point to a promising season for the offensive line. As they set to roar into the 2023 season, Chicago Bears Nation eagerly anticipates a dominant performance from its renewed front line. The offensive line has the potential to become a critical factor in their campaign, as they aim for success in 2023.