Part of having success in the NFL is being able to turn cheap investments into major gains. Namely through either late round draft picks or undrafted free agents. The
Chicago Bears have actually become quite good at this in recent years. Last season was further proof of this. Not only did they get a huge contribution from rookie 5th round pick Darnell Mooney. They also saw the rise of Sam Mustipher on their offensive line, a former undrafted player in 2019.
Many would argue Mustipher was the biggest
catalyst to the Bears' late turnaround in 2020. One that saw them win three in a row to make the playoffs after losing six straight. A huge part of that success was the revival of the offensive line. Putting Mustipher in at center proved to be vital as his leadership and intelligence allowed everybody else to function so much better. It was such a great story considering he began the season on the practice squad.
That raises an interesting question.
Is there another possible hidden gem who was an afterthought on the practice squad? One that might be ready to ascend provided he gets a similar opportunity? A name that fans might have forgotten that should be kept in mind is
Dieter Eiselen. The Bears signed him as an undrafted free agent out of Yale in 2020. He was on their practice squad all of last season. Though inexperienced in many ways, Eiselen stood out as a big and powerful guard with loads of nastiness to him. All things offensive line coach Juan Castillo covets.
The big knock on him was his feet. Eiselen had problems with his footwork. Namely the fact they lacked the necessary quickness for the types of defensive linemen he'd see in the NFL. By the look of things, he's been working hard to correct that issue this offseason.
https://twitter.com/NicholasMoreano/status/1414651137035313158
Dieter Eiselen is capable of a Sam Mustipher jump
He has the size and strength already. If he found a way to improve his feet? Then he has the makings of at least a primary backup guard in the NFL. If not a starter. The big hurdle for him isn't skills. It's the competition. GM Ryan Pace and the Bears scouting department have done a good job stockpiling capable interior blockers going into this training camp. In addition to
Cody Whitehair and a returning
James Daniels, they also have
Alex Bars who was solid when he played right guard last season.
That doesn't include former draft picks
Arlington Hambright and
Lachavious Simmons, veteran Alex Redmond, and undrafted rookie Dareuan Parker. That is a lot for Eiselen to battle through, especially since he doesn't have the versatility to play center and potentially back up Sam Mustipher. So he really needs to
stand out in camp.
He will have one advantage Mustipher didn't last year.
The preseason. With the NFL bringing the exhibition month back this year, it should be a prime opportunity for Eiselen to get some actual game experience. With only three games to play instead of four, the Bears figure to give a lot of that time to their reserves. The young guard should be able to make an impression.
