The offensive line was an area that GM Ryan Pace stressed the Chicago Bears need to improve going into 2020. So many problems on offense started in the trenches. They couldn’t gain any traction in the run game and their pass protection was average for the most part. Most presume the focus for Pace and his front office will be filling the void left by Kyle Long at right guard. He retired last month after seven seasons with the team. However, is that the only spot that will see some tweaking? Some seem to think Charles Leno Jr. doesn’t deserve to be safe.
Longtime Bears insider Hub Arkush seems to believe the left tackle is a prime candidate to lose his job. During his latest mailbag, he broke down exactly why this is and why the Bears shouldn’t feel that much concern about doing so.
“You also have to accept that you can’t just write off the second overall pick in the Draft as a 25 year old, while moving on from a 28-year-old seventh round pick who peaked at barely average and went backwards last year isn’t hard to swallow at all.
My issue with Leno is that at no time that I can find on tape, has he shown any special traits or any signs that he’s ever going to be better than he is right now, and after being among the NFL’s most penalized offensive linemen in 2017, he cut those penalties almost in half in 2018 and then came back to contend for the lead again last season.”
Leno was not good in 2019.
He committed 12 penalties and gave up a career-high seven sacks. The Bears have stayed with him to this point mostly because they haven’t been able to find anybody better. This upcoming offseason might be the best opportunity they’ve had in years.
Charles Leno should fear the 2020 draft class
The truth is the only thing protecting Leno right now is his contract. Chicago would be saddled with $7.4 million in dead money if they released him. The state of the Collective Bargaining Agreement is also working in his favor since teams aren’t able to use the post-June 1st designation which would enable them to spread cap hits out to future years. Thus the Bears appear stuck with him.
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However, this doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t bring in competition.
The general belief is the upcoming 2020 draft class might be the best crop of offensive tackles seen in years. The Draft Network ranks no fewer than 12 players in their top 100 rankings. That is just one fewer than the wide receivers, which is almost always the more loaded position. So yeah. There should be quite a few above-average starters in that group with at least a handful being there when the Bears go on the clock in the 2nd round.
Maybe Arkush is onto something.
