The Chicago Bears offensive line was never great. It hasn't been great for a long time. Even so, the group was at least serviceable in 2018. They had some young pieces in place and appears to be stable. Then 2019 happened with a bottom-five running game and 45 sacks allowed. People thought it couldn't possibly get any worse.
It didn't take long for 2020 to douse them with cold reality. A few games into the season, the problems began. Left guard James Daniels tears his pec. Right tackle Bobby Massie injures his knee. Center Cody Whitehair hurt his calf and then contracted COVID-19. It's been a remarkable sequence of events that took an average line and systematically turned it into nightmare fuel.
Just look at the possible starting lineup for Tennessee.
A struggling Charles Leno at left tackle. Seventh round rookie Arlington Hambright at left guard. Alex Bars at center, a spot he's never played. Germain Ifedi at right guard and Rashaad Coward (who'd been play left guard) at right tackle. That is some crazy stuff and no doubt a major contributor to why Matt Nagy's offense continues to flounder each week.Anybody with common sense knows what the action plan for GM Ryan Pace and his front office will be next spring. They have to rebuild that front five if there is any hope of getting this team out of the mire of good-but-not-good-enough. Skeptics though don't think it can be done in the short-term. Such things take a long time. Except if people have followed the Bears long enough, they know that's not true. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXN7Pel4A2A&ab_channel=NFL
The Bears offensive line experienced a rapid rebuild in 2013
It's somewhat ironic people have compared this Bears team to the 2012 version. One governed by a strong veteran defense but a rough offense with basically one great receiver (Brandon Marshall and Allen Robinson) and struggling offensive lines. The group that year was truly something. J'Marcus Webb, Chilo Rachal, Roberto Garza, Lance Louis, and Gabe Carimi. Together they allowed 44 sacks that season. For new GM Phil Emery? That wasn't going to do. So in the 2013 offseason, he set forth a bold plan to turn things around. Here is how he did it.- March 12th - Signed two-time Pro Bowl left tackle Jermon Bushrod
- March 29th - Signed left guard Matt Slauson from the Jets
- April 25th - Drafted right guard Kyle Long in the 1st round
- April 27th - Drafted right tackle Jordan Mills in the 5th round
In the space of just over a month, the Bears added four new starters
Together with Garz in the middle, that line delivered the best season of the past decade. They allowed just 30 sacks, blocking for the 5th-best passing attack in the league. Matt Forte also ran for a career-high 1,339 yards on the ground. If not for historically bad defense, that team likely would've won the division. A remarkable turnaround. If anything, this Bears offensive line is even better set up to accomplish such a task. That's because they have two blockers they can keep instead of one. Daniels and Whitehair. Both are also under 30 which Garza was not. If Pace gets it right with his 1st round pick and perhaps clears up some money to sign a quality free agent? This group can take a big leap forward by this time next year.Comments
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