The
Chicago Bears already had questions about their offensive line through the first quarter of the season. The last thing they could afford was to lose one of their starters. Much less the best one. Sadly that is the truth of football. Left guard James Daniels, off to such a good start this season, saw his year come to an end after tearing his pec against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on Thursday night.
Tom Pelissero
confirmed the report.
This is a tough blow for the Bears. Luckily they have 10 days to figure out what to do. For now, it seems backup Alex Bars will get the first look, but the depth is still a big concern. One would think GM Ryan Pace has to consider signing veteran help at some point soon.
The question is who should that be?
Replacing James Daniels is hard but the Bears must try
The fact of the matter is there's no plan in place for this type of situation. Chicago can't be expected to replace a fixture like Daniels so far into the regular season. All they can hope to do is find somebody who can plug the hole enough to prevent things from falling apart. For the time being former undrafted free agent Alex Bars will get the nod, but here are some veteran options they could explore.
Ron Leary
The 31-year old had some strong seasons at left guard for the Dallas Cowboys from 2012 to 2016. After that, he spent three years with the Denver Broncos. Nobody would say he's a great get but Leary is steady and experienced. He'd be able to step in immediately and play if necessary. Presuming he's remained in good shape.
Josh Kline
He began his ascent in 2014, starting some games for the New England Patriots en route to a Super Bowl title. He was a starter by the next season. From there he spent three years in Tennessee before having a brief stop in Minnesota last year with the Vikings. He's played both guard spots and been decent enough to win some playoff games.
Justin Britt
The thing to remember is Daniels wasn't just the Bears' left guard. He was also their backup center. So it's a double hit in that regard. It would be ideal if they could find somebody with experience at both positions. Justin Britt makes the most sense in that regard. He played left guard in 2015 for the Seahawks before shifting to center for the next four seasons.
Eric Kush
This is another player with familiarity at both guard and center. Not only that, but Kush has also played for the Bears before. He was a backup and spot starter for them in 2016 and 2018 and didn't play too bad when given opportunities. If healthy, he has a good mix of power and technique that could help steady the position.
