Multiple Chicago Bears rookies stood out in the team’s second preseason game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Jordan Van Den Berg was a wrecking ball on several snaps for the defense. Sam Roush had a great catch-and-run for a 1st down while also doing some blocking. Skyler Thomas had an interception. This made it easy to overlook 2nd round center Logan Jones. He stepped in and played most of the first half and into the 3rd quarter, putting together what became a solid performance.
While the backs didn’t always take full advantage of their opportunities, Jones had some quality reps in the running game. He demonstrated his ability to work in space and find the right guys to block. This play below is a great example. He uses the double team to drive the defensive tackle back, disengages, and picks off the linebacker at the second level, giving Roschon Johnson a nice lane for eight yards.
Pass protection was spotless. In 26 snaps, Jones did not allow a single pressure on the quarterback. That included 10 reps where he was one-on-one. He made good use of his hands, always fighting. His footwork was quick and crisp. There was never any lagging in his approach. Jones will always have questions about his size, but he lived up to the pre-draft reports about his technique and athleticism.
Logan Jones is looking like what the Bears wanted.
While Garrett Bradbury is the starting center for this season, the organization knew they’d only have him for one year. That meant they either had to sign him long-term, which wasn’t likely at his age, or add somebody they could develop for the future. That is how they came around to drafting Jones in the 2nd round. He is a great fit for Ben Johnson’s system, demonstrating a mix of mobility and intelligence. He’s rarely out of position and understands his assignment on every snap.
🔥 Subscribe to the Untold Chicago YouTube channel to hear Chicago legends tell stories you’ve never seen in headlines — real moments, real experiences, straight from the athletes themselves.
By not forcing him into the lineup immediately, the Bears are free to have him focus on cleaning up areas they feel need work. Namely, his power base. Logan Jones could stand to add some mass to his frame. While he’ll never be a bulldozer like some other centers, he needs to improve his anchor against bull rushes. He will face some big defensive tackles in this league. That brush with Dexter Lawrence in Cincinnati was merely a taste. Spending a year getting his body ready is a good thing.
It’s nice to see he is settling into the offense.
Should the worst happen and Bradbury goes down for whatever reason, the Bears know they have somebody they can trust to fill in. All things considered, things could be a lot worse. It feels so long ago, but the truth is Drew Dalman left the team hanging by his abrupt retirement just a few months ago. It would’ve been easy to panic and scramble for solutions. To their credit, general manager Ryan Poles and head coach Ben Johnson set out with a clear plan of action. Trading for Bradbury and drafting Jones should secure both their present and their future.
As we’ve seen in the past, plans like this tend to get a little wonky as the season goes along. There’s either an injury or the starter struggles. In such cases, the younger player takes over and rarely gives the starting job back unless they’re terrible. So the pressure is on Bradbury to play his best football once the season kicks off. As much as the Bears coaches trust him, that can disappear quickly.
