The Chicago Bears aren’t done with free agency yet. They still have work to do at other positions, but it’s fair to assume all their biggest moves have been made. Their entire interior offensive line was revamped with Joe Thuney, Drew Dalman, and Jonah Jackson. Meanwhile, Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett should give the defensive line some much-needed juice. The conversations have shifted to what they will do in the draft next month. GM Ryan Poles holds the 10th overall pick, and many believe there is a strong chance he could seek a Braxton Jones replacement at left tackle.
One can understand why. The former 5th round pick has delivered stretches of good play since arriving in 2022. However, he seemed to plateau somewhat last season, and then things got even worse when he broke his leg. Now, his status for the upcoming season is murky. With average left tackles getting crazy money in free agency, the Bears may not be wild about paying him. Even so, ESPN draft insider Matt Miller doesn’t believe a left tackle is in play for them at #10. He explained why on 670 The Score.
Braxton Jones might actually be the safest option.
The harsh reality is the top left tackle options in this draft class all have serious red flags regarding their ability to play the position in the NFL. Will Campbell of LSU has 32-inch arms, which is below what the league considers the red line for a tackle. Josh Simmons of Ohio State, who is regarded as the most natural left tackle this year, tore his patella tendon last season. Kelvin Banks of Texas is experienced but also has length concerns and displays holes in his pass protection.
Because of these issues, none of them is a surefire guarantee to be great as pros. That may convince the Bears that sticking with Braxton Jones for another year is the safer bet. They could instead target players with better chances of excelling. Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty, Penn State tight end Tyler Warren, Michigan defensive tackle Mason Graham, and Marshall pass rusher Mike Green feel like possibilities. The Bears could also look to trade down for more picks. They must be completely sold on one of these tackles to pull the trigger.
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@Poochie Yes, I would make for a better president. Playing chess, I can look at the board for 5-10 seconds and see all of the relationships. I could do that for a map of the world with 194 nation-states too. It might take a minute.
Jones plateaued last year, the writer says and then “Things got worse when he broke his leg?” If Braxton is less effective with a broken leg by all means get him outta here!
@Sallie
How did you ever learn anything jumping to immediate conclusions about everything? Makes you sound like Trump.
James Daniels was the highest rated right guard last year before he tore his ACL. He left the Bears to sign with Pittsburgh at 25. He was replaced by Nate Davis.
Are we really judging players? Or the. coaches, coaching and teams they play on?
Maybe I should ask that question differently: Are we fools or idiots?
This reminds me of the guy standing by the side of the road..Someone yells at him: “WATCH OUT FOR THE TRUCK!!!” He jumps back in reaction, in front of the truck.
Splat. Reaction. Will kill you.
I’ll just keep saying it…Braxton Jones is in the top third of Left Tackles around the league. The numbers back it up. He’s a hell of a lot better than anyone, aside from maybe Alt, drafted early last year, but we also haven’t seen Alt play LT in the NFL. But top 10 pick JC Lathem was so bad at LT in Tennessee, they went out and dropped a giant FA contract on a bottom third or worse LT from Pittsburgh, so they could move Lathem to the right side. The Jets chose to start a 75 year old, broken… Read more »