In case it hasn’t been evident in a few recent articles, former Chicago Bears center Olin Kreutz had himself quite a “productive” interview on the Hoge & Jahns podcast. Anybody who watched the six-time Pro Bowler during his heyday will know he’s not afraid to express his opinion. It’s one of the many reasons Bears fans love him. So when he gets asked a question, people can expect an honest answer.
That was the case during this interview. Among his statements included a concern that Matt Nagy might not know how to craft an actual run scheme. Then there is the belief Mitch Trubisky was the root cause of James Daniels losing his job at center. So it was only natural the pair asked him about the notable acquisition of veteran lineman Germain Ifedi.
GM Ryan Pace said the team has liked him since back in 2016 when he was a 1st round pick to Seattle. They envision him as a guard rather than a tackle though. The best thing Kreutz could say? He’s better than anything else they have.
“He is an immediate improvement over Rashaad Coward,” Kreutz said.
“He’s heavy-footed,” Kreutz said. “He struggles with speed guys sometimes. And he struggles moving his feet. But he’s an improvement over what they had at right guard.”
Olin Kreutz feels Ifedi won’t solve the underlying issue
The comparison Kreutz made for Ifedi is Bryan Witzmann, the veteran who did a decent job filling in for Kyle Long during the 2018 season. However, the truth is the guy isn’t what they really need. The biggest problem the Bears have in Kreutz’s mind is they have no lynchpin up front. No genuine star who can bring everything else together. Similar to what he was for many years.
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“If James Daniels can develop into a Pro Bowl guard or center, if Cody Whitehair can develop into a Pro Bowl guard or center — and I’m not talking about when they replace guys, I’m not talking about alternates. I’m talking about making the Pro Bowl, where you’re dominant. Cody Whitehair has been a good football player. They don’t have dominant offensive linemen on their offensive line.”
It’s hard to argue that. The Bears haven’t had a dominant offensive lineman since Long’s first couple of seasons with the team. Is it any coincidence they had their best offensive output in a decade around that time? The truth is Pace hasn’t done a great job building the offense in general. Can anybody name a genuine star he’s drafted dating back to 2015? It hasn’t happened and that is a big reason the Bears are in this mess.