Free agency wasn’t the first step, after all. True to form, GM Ryan Poles stayed aggressive on the trade market for solutions on the roster. The Chicago Bears flipped a 6th round pick to the Los Angeles Rams for 28-year-old guard Jonah Jackson. He reunites with Ben Johnson, whom he played under in Detroit for three seasons between 2021 and 2023. Many are skeptical of the move. Jackson was a disaster in Los Angeles, playing only four games, got injured, and was benched. Is he really an upgrade over what is available in free agency?
If you ask offensive line experts, the answer is a resounding yes. It started with Justin Pugh. The former 1st round pick started 131 games in the NFL, most at guard. He knows the position well and felt somebody would look smart by trading for Jackson.
He isn’t alone. Duke Manyweather and Brandon Thorn are widely considered two of the best offensive line experts in the NFL media sphere. Both of them stated that the acquisition of Jackson was a great move by the Bears. If he’s healthy, they are getting a tremendous player.
Jonah Jackson isn’t the first reclamation project for Dan Roushar.
The new Bears offensive line coach is familiar with situations like this. An offensive lineman who has a track record of iffy health issues leaves a team to try his luck elsewhere. That happened with Larry Warford in the mid-2010s when he left Detroit. The New Orleans Saints signed him, and Roushar helped turn him into a three-time Pro Bowler. If anybody is equipped to get the most from Jackson, it is him. That is before you get into the familiarity between him and Ben Johnson. Detroit’s offense was one of the NFL’s best for two years when Jackson was in the lineup.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
The Bears are in a great spot. If Jonah Jackson returns to his Detroit form, they have him under contract for two years at an affordable price. If his health struggles continue, they can release him next off-season with only $5 million in dead cap. More than anything, this move eases the pressure on Poles to find multiple solutions in free agency. He can now narrow his focus to perhaps one prominent starter at one of the other interior positions, then shift to preparing for the draft.
Are those in here talking about Teven Jenkins like he is great or something? He was never better than average and couldn’t stay on the field. I could give 2 shits what PFF rates players, as they typically don’t add up when you watch the film or games. I wouldn’t spend TGena’s money on that shit service. Espeically when they had the Bears rated as the 13th best offensive line in football???? Did you watch any Bears games? Would you say they were 13th? Now, on to Jonah Jackson. He is a better option than Davis, TJ, Bates, Pryor, or… Read more »
Still hope they keep Tevin Jenkins. Jackson is a big injury risk and Jenkins is a Mauler
Jackson will be a huge improvement over Nate “I’m On Vacation, Please Leave a Message” Davis if he just shows up to practice and play in games! As for Jenkins, he is the epitome of a potential great talent who has trouble staying healthy. Hell, even Marc Columbo had a decent career once he managed to stay on the field–but sadly it wasn’t for the Bears but for the Cowboys. Getting the right mix of talents guys who can stay healthy long enough to learn to become a cohesive unit is perhaps one of the trickiest parts of football—I am… Read more »
I don’t care who “wanted Jonah Jackson.” Poles traded for him — and is paying $17.5 for the privilege.
Remember, Justin Fields “wanted Velus Jones Jr.” And Luke Getsy “wanted Lucas Patrick.” And, Matt Eberflus “wanted Tremaine Edmunds.” Etc., etc.
This (and every other personnel move) is squarely on Ryan Poles.
Who knows? It might turn out to be good. But at least, this time Kevin Warren is awake — and watching.
Roushar is the wild card here. I suspect he and BJ both wanted JJ. This guy needs to be healthy and play LG, not C. Imagine trying to play TJ at C and what that would look like — he would have been benched too. As for the money, don’t compare. TJ is going to get more. FA is a crapshoot and too many teams have stupid money to throw around.