Going into training camp, the Chicago Bears appeared to have two names battling for the center position. One was trade acquisition Ryan Bates from Buffalo, and the other was free agent Coleman Shelton from Los Angeles. Both have experience at the position and the types of playing styles that fit the offense this team wants to run. Nothing seemed to change that stance through the first week of camp. However, as we’ve learned over the past two years, the preseason can change things.
Jack Sanborn vaulted himself into the starting linebacker rotation in 2022 with a terrific August showing. Tyson Bagent came out of nowhere to unseat P.J. Walker as the backup quarterback last season. There is no telling where the next gem might surface. It turns out it could be center, at least based on what we saw Thursday night in Canton. Lost amidst the big games had by quarterback Brett Rypien and wide receiver Collin Johnson, complete unknown Jerome Carvin turned in a stellar evening at center.
Carvin joined the Chicago Bears with little fanfare.
He signed with the Kansas City Chiefs as an undrafted free agent out of Tennessee. He started 43 games in college and was voted a team captain. While not overly strong, scouts noted his size, intelligence, technique, and solid pass protection as positives to work with. That showed up in a big way against Houston. In 21 snap, he didn’t allow a single pressure on the quarterback. Included were 11 instances where he was one-on-one with a defender with no help. He won all 11 reps. His efforts were a key reason Rypien enjoyed such a big night throwing the ball.
The truth is he never had a fair shot in Kansas City. They already had Creed Humphrey and Nick Allegretti as center options. However, GM Ryan Poles has a pipeline to the organization. He likely got word from people he knows about Carvin and decided to bring him to Chicago in January. That is looking like a smart decision. If Carvin can put up another performance or two like that, the Chicago Bears may have to give consideration to at least keeping him as a backup center.
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@jmscooby —
If Ryan Poles were serious about scheme fit, he would have traded up to get C, Joe Tippmann (or just would have let GB squander their 2nd-round pick {#42} on Claypool — Who really believes that?).
But, the fact that you have always been aware of Wisconsin linemen from: Tippmann to Tanor Bortolini causes me to send:
Much respect!
PS. “#19” on the NFL Top 100, says, “Yo!”
Garza did it for us. Tippmann would have probably benefited from a year or 2 at G. It’s always nice to have a guy in the pipeline.
@jmscooby —
Personally, I’ve never known a Center — worth his salt — that played any other position (on offense).
I know there are guys in the NFL that are capable — but, don’t they command $20 million, per?
Can the new punter, just punt the ball to the quarterback, and forget about centers?
@Byron @TGena Really good points about top centers and coaching. I’ve never understood how people rag on players without looking one step back at their coaches and coordinators. Any time you tear down a team, you, by definition, have young players and rejects. A “rebuilding” team with lousy coaching, looks like the Bears two years ago and the first part of last year (the full year if you just look at offense). A rebuilding team with great coaching looks like the Houston Texans or Green Bay Packers or Jacksonville last year. Every team has one quarterback on the field at… Read more »