It seems GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus finally decided to take the offensive line situation seriously. On paper, there were glaring holes at both guard and tackle going into training camp. Now in the space of 24 hours, they’ve managed to ease the concerns at both spot. First, they signed veteran guard Michael Schofield who should take over on the right side, barring anything unexpected. Now according to Adam Schefter, the team reached an agreement with former 1st round tackle Riley Reiff.
The 33-year-old had a decent if unremarkable season last year. Still, he helped the Cincinnati Bengals reach the Super Bowl, allowing 24 pressures and four sacks across 12 games. He was unfortunately missed during the playoffs thanks to a season-ending ankle injury. His signing now suggests he is fully recovered and ready to resume his career. Fun fact? The Bears become the third NFC North team he’ll play for in his career.
Former Bengals’ OT Riley Reiff reached agreement today on a one-year deal worth up to $12.5 million, with $10 million likely to be earned, with the Chicago Bears, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) July 26, 2022
Nasty chop from Riley Reiff. Great hands.
Reiff is one of the main reasons for the MIN OL turnaround from last year.#EyesOnOLine#OLineAfterDark
(@BigDuke50 am I doing it right? 😉) pic.twitter.com/N6cOEdLz1h
— Josh Cohen (@JCohen_NFL) November 23, 2017
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Riley Reiff with a thunderous pancake pic.twitter.com/HSaTpmSmsc
— Mike (@bengals_sans) November 8, 2021
Chicago Bears offensive line is better than it was last week.
That is what matters. Nobody will accuse Schofield and Reiff of being great players. They can best be described as “adequate” starters. It isn’t ideal, but it’s far better than what the Bears had to work with a few days ago. Both men are serviceable pass protectors, which is great news for Justin Fields, who took a beating last year. The big question is what this ends up doing for Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom. Both looked like obvious starters in the spring.
Now they’re fighting for a chance even to play. Assuming Reiff is the immediate favorite for right tackle, Borom and Jenkins will compete with rookie Braxton Jones for the left tackle spot. If nothing else, these moves further Poles’ goal from the beginning. He wanted to improve the depth and competition along the entire offensive line. Every single spot has a battle going on now. It should only serve the team well as the season unfolds. The Chicago Bears are a better team with his presence.
Doesn’t this fit exactly with the words Poles has said from day one about how he will manuver?
I keep hearing that it takes a few years before a team switching “systems” to gel and reap the benefits. I think that is probably true. I’m wondering if it is written in stone and whether there are exceptions where there were immediate turnarounds?
Competition, competition, and depth. R Poles and M Eberflus aren’t trying to sign one elite player with the hope he leads this team to a SB, they are signing competitive, smart, tough, and intelligent players who can excel in a given scheme. 11 players with the same goal, the same attitude, within the same system grounded in playing hard-nosed, mistake-free football will win games on its own merits. But adding players who embrace it, the culture, the identity, and who are placed into a system designed around their individual and collective strength makes this team a true sleeper contender. R… Read more »
It’s a signing of OL talent late in free agency – as advertised. There’s nothing saying Poles won’t bolster depth on either side of the line with veteran roster cut casualties – as advertised. These two signings afford the players Poles’ drafted time to learn how to be a player in the NFL. They won’t all make the jump, but until enough are able to play with consistency, we have two more NFL veterans with known, projectable floors. I also like that Riley Reiff had a “C” on his jersey. Plenty of players Poles drafted had a “C” on their jerseys as… Read more »
I was thinking he’d start at LT rather than at RT. The alternatives at LT are so young and inexperienced that I’d be nervous about plugging Borom, Jenkins or Jones in there, at least early in the season. They got better. That’s what matters.