The Chicago Bears offensive line has undergone some considerable changed in the past eight months. They began following their bye week last season when head coach Matt Nagy and offensive line coach Juan Castillo decided to make some sweeping changes. It started with putting second-year man Sam Mustipher in at center. This shifted Cody Whitehair to left guard. Then they moved Germain Ifedi from right guard to right tackle and plugged Alex Bars in at right guard.
To the shock of many, the results were positive almost right away. Chicago could suddenly run the ball a lot better and Mitch Trubisky had pretty good protection too. It was the first sign that the team might be onto something. It has intelligence, athleticism, and some newfound grit. However, that might not be one of their greater strengths. According to former Bears Tom Thayer, not enough is being mentioned about the origins of this group.
Specifically how the majority of them are homegrown talent.
When thinking about great Bears offensive lines, what Thayer says holds plenty of merit. The unit that dominated most of the 1980s was entirely homegrown. Three of the five starters on the 1995 unit that helped Erik Kramer set records were homegrown. Part of what makes this approach so valuable is continuity. Players who come up together know each other better. This leads to greater chemistry.
Nothing serves an offensive line better than chemistry. When all five starters know what each blocker is going to do, it leads to great things. It’s nice to see the Bears aren’t relying too much on draft picks and trade acquisitions anymore. If things go as expected, four of the five starters this coming season will be homegrown guys. Germain Ifedi being the only outlier.
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Chicago Bears offensive line is solidified save for one spot
Barring something totally unexpected, four positions are already locked down. Ifedi at right tackle, Whitehair at left guard, Mustipher and center and a returning James Daniels likely taking over at right guard. This leaves the left tackle position unaccounted for. It is a fairly safe assumption that rookie 2nd round pick Teven Jenkins is the favorite to win that job. His only competition right now is veteran backup Elijah Wilkinson.
However, the pursuit of free agent Morgan Moses suggests the Chicago Bears brass might be looking for another option at that spot. It is reasonable to assume they will see how things unfold early in training camp. If Jenkins performs well? They will move forward with him as planned. If not? There are one or two options still available they can reach out to.
Russell Okung being one to watch.
The best part about Thayer’s original point? Nobody in this current group is over the age of 28. If they play up to their potential this season, the Bears can keep this offensive line together for a number of years beyond 2021. That goes back to the continuity mentioned earlier. A problem Chicago hasn’t been able to handle for a long time.
