Of the eight new additions to the Chicago Bears roster thus far, four of them are linemen. Veteran guard Dakota Dozier makes for the second one to join the offensive line along with Lucas Patrick. Ironically another name from an NFC North rival, this time the Minnesota Vikings. It remains apparent what GM Ryan Poles aims to accomplish. He wants to fortify that area of the offense first before worrying about the skill positions.
That leaves the obvious question of what Dozier brings to the table. Rest assured, the Bears don't see him as a starter. It is far more likely they've added him as depth at guard. Somebody who can compete for a roster spot in training camp. He's 30-years old with almost two full seasons' worth of starting experience. Having somebody like that in an emergency can prove valuable. Starting him is out of the question.
The last time somebody tried it was, well, rough.
Dakota Dozier started every game in 2020 for the Vikings. That couldn't have been by choice, though, because the stats indicate he was dreadful. In 16 games, he allowed a gaudy 46 pressures and six sacks on the quarterback. He also committed nine penalties. So not only was he a turnstile in pass protection, but he was also prone to mental mistakes. Maybe coaching had something to do with that. Still, it's hard to excuse a player performing so poorly. In fairness, Dozier was a big part of helping Dalvin Cook rush for a career-high 1,557 yards. Gary Kubiak, the Vikings offensive coordinator that season, ran the type of offense Luke Getsy figures to in Chicago. So it makes sense the Bears would target somebody who has experience playing in it. The same goes for Patrick. Even so, it is unlikely the team views Dozier as much more than an experienced reserve.
