Chicago Bears Add More Quality Depth To Their O-Line

There is no position Ryan Poles has paid greater attention to this off-season than the offensive line. The Chicago Bears GM has been active in retooling it for months. It started with signing veteran guard Nate Davis in free agency. Drafting tackle Darnell Wright in the 1st round followed a month later. Having secured two new starters, Poles next shifted his focus to the team's depth. Chicago traded a 6th round pick to Miami for veteran guard/center Dan Feeney in the wake of Teven Jenkins' calf injury. They also added veteran tackle Aviante Collins and guard Bill Murray to their practice squad.

It appears Poles wasn't done. With the season opener around the corner, Chicago added a third body to the practice squad. This is in the form of Matt Farniok. The 25-year-old is a guard/center drafted in the 7th round by the Dallas Cowboys in 2021. He was a standout at Indiana, where scouts loved his versatility, size, and athleticism. His run-blocking is his calling card. The problem that kept him from being selected higher was his inconsistent pass protection. That showed up early in his time with Dallas, but he did appear to show some progress once he got some playing time last season.

Farniok is a good fit for the Chicago Bears.

His size, length, and mobility make him a natural for a zone-blocking scheme. The Bears don't need him to be overpowering. Their system is based on movement. Can he get to the second level and pick off guys in space? The answer is, more often than not, yes. Farniok is nothing more than an emergency option. Chicago likely sees him as a development option and depth. Something will have to go seriously wrong if he's promoted to the main roster and sees playing time.

Still, it's nice to see Poles remain proactive in trying to improve the Chicago Bears offensive line however he can. That is something previous GMs never took seriously enough. This shouldn't be a surprise. Poles is a former lineman himself. He understands the value of stacking talent at those positions. So does assistant GM Ian Cunningham. It's nice to see such an important position group finally get the proper attention it deserves. Next off-season should see more of the same.