The Chicago Bears didn't get what they needed from the offensive line last year. So it fell on those men to make sure they were ready to go to work once training camp began. If this offense is going to have any chance, it will start with the blocking. One man who seemed to take that challenge to heart was guard James Daniels.
While nobody would call the third-year man out of shape, he also had the classic body of a big interior block. Thick and slightly rounded in certain areas. Either somebody told him this was a problem or he decided to invest in gamma radiation treatment because the 22-year old arrived at Halas Hall for the start of camp in phenomenal shape.
By the look of things he clearly hit the weights and also seemed to trim a lot of unnecessary fat as well. The guy appears ready to swallow puny defensive tackles the moment he hits the field.
James Daniels has been a busy man this year
Daniels appeared to mature in a lot of ways this offseason. His second year with the Bears was frustrating. He made his first attempt to switch to center and it didn't go well. Now he's back at guard where he seems far more comfortable. His physique suggests he intends to stop messing around and really start living up to the expectations placed on him since 2018.
At the same time, he also led a brave push by several former African-American players to expose a history of racial tension at Iowa University where he played college football. This set off a firestorm of controversy that led to sweeping changes across the program. The young man is doing great work. It's crazy to think he just turned old enough to drink last September.
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