OL depth still seems to be a quiet concern for Bears despite confidence in a revamped starting unit but training camp can change that
The Chicago Bears had one clear priority this offseason when it came to which unit the front office wanted to fully invest in, and it's been a long time coming to finally address it with the proper resources.That position group, was of course, the offensive line that helped in allowing a league-high 68 sacks during […]
The Chicago Bears had one clear priority this offseason when it came to which unit the front office wanted to fully invest in, and it's been a long time coming to finally address it with the proper resources.
That position group, was of course, the offensive line that helped in allowing a league-high 68 sacks during the 2024 season. To further show the concern, Next Gen Stats shared that quarterback Caleb Williams suffered from 57 unblocked pressures and 13 unblocked sacks during his rookie season.
With head coach Ben Johnson coming into town from a team who took pride in the offensive line, a massive overhaul was expected to take place with the starting five.
Over the following months, the Bears added Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson via trades to fill both guard positions and then signed the top center on the free agent board in Drew Dalman to fully secure the interior of the offensive line.
All three players are under contract for the next three seasons with another position locked up at right tackle in Darnell Wright. Virtually, the only position of concern on the starting line is left tackle, which happens to be the most critical spot up-front.
Heading into training camp, the Bears feel confident in the three-man battle at left tackle between Braxton Jones, Ozzy Trapilo, and Kiran Amegadjie. Once that's decided and the best man wins, the starting five will be set and much improved.
My real concern is how things look behind those five, which is what caused a lot of the issues in 2024. Over the course of 17 games, injuries will happen and players will have to step up into the starting lineup, and you're only as good as your backups.
Last year, the Bears' backups on the offensive line simply weren't good enough, regardless of position. Only one player up-front managed to play all 17 games for Chicago and that player was former center Coleman Shelton.
All this to say, the offensive line depth is still a quiet concern being overlooked by all the flashing new additions to the offensive front.
Right now, the Bears should have confidence in two backups, and both are rookie draft picks in Trapilo and Luke Newman (saying Trapilo doesn't win the left tackle job).
When the Bears drafted Trapilo, general manager Ryan Poles highlighted his ability to play either tackle spot at a high level, making him a key player to have. The same goes for Newman who has the ability to play left guard or center at the next level.
Outside of those two, the confidence isn't high in the other depth options. Amegadjie is a major question mark after struggling to fill in during his rookie season, but so far has earned positive reviews. Ryan Bates and Bill Murray are each looking to return from season-ending injuries. Then you have Doug Kramer, Ricky Stromberg, Chris Glaser and Jordan McFadden vying for a final roster spot.
How those backup players perform once pads come on during training camp and against other defensive fronts in joint practices and in the preseason games will go a long way toward establishing some full confidence for this unit's potential.
Back in March, Johnson noted teams usually play with 8-9 guys up-front that you can fully count on and gel with the other players. I would say the Bears have seven for sure players who fit that bill right now and how those other two players turn out can determine how new-look unit actually holds up once we get into the regular season.
