Chicago Bears Training Camp Battle Preview: Kiran Amegadjie's return will bring more clarity to the offensive line
From top to bottom, the position group with the highest turnaround from the 2023 season for the Chicago Bears has been on the offensive line.After suffering multiple offensive setbacks during last season, many of which were caused by the protection up-front, the Bears' front office made sure to address the room in a major way […]
From top to bottom, the position group with the highest turnaround from the 2023 season for the Chicago Bears has been on the offensive line.
After suffering multiple offensive setbacks during last season, many of which were caused by the protection up-front, the Bears' front office made sure to address the room in a major way going into the 2024 season.
The most impressive feat is that the front office looked to bring in better talent in every area possible. The team traded for, signed, and drafted players who are expected to bring major improvements to the unit this season. Let's take a look at how the group stands going into training camp later this month.
Bears OL Overview
Who are the confirmed starters:
LT Braxton Jones
LG Teven Jenkins
RT Darnell Wright
Who are the new additions:
IOL Ryan Bates
C Coleman Shelton
OT Matt Pryor
OT Jake Curhan
OT Kiran Amegadjie
OL Theo Benedet
The Bears have three spots completely locked up on the offensive line with returning players at all three positions. As for the moves the front office made this offseason, five new faces will be joining the group up front as the coaching staff looks to finalize the last two positions. Training camp will also potentially be the first opportunity we see third-round pick Kiran Amegadjie take the field as a participant after rehabbing from a quad injury suffered during his final season at Yale.
Biggest Battles For Training Camp
Which player will secure the starting center job:
The starting center job has been an open competition thus far between Coleman Shelton and Ryan Bates, who have been rotating in and out with the first-team unit.
Both players have tons of experience coming into Chicago, Shelton especially after starting all 17 regular season games for the Los Angeles Rams in 2023. Bates is a player the team has had their eyes on for a while now and finally got him off the Buffalo Bills. Second-year offensive lineman Doug Kramer is another name in contention.
“We’re always competing,” Bears offensive line coach Chris Morgan said. “So, that’s exciting right now. Doug Kramer is playing his (rear end) off and working. We got three guys right there that can play center and play it well. (Shelton and Bates) have played a lot of football, so it’s exciting. Both of them are good football players. They’re athletic, they’re smart, they’re both tough. So, they really add a lot to the room. It’s been a great transition so far.”
Head coach Matt Eberflus has stated many times that it will be a true competition to decide who will get the starting spot, and one that will continue into training camp.
Will there be a competition at RG:
Considering how much the Bears are paying offensive guard Nate Davis, this even being a question should be a concern for the team. After dealing with personal matters last offseason and a disappointing year on the field in 2023, Davis has continued to be a headache for the team after minor injuries held him out of team drills and complete practices during OTAs and minicamp.
Eberflus was relatively non-committable about Davis' status other than stating that he believes Davis should be good to go fully at training camp and detailed how the team has handled the position in his absence.
"I don't know yet," Eberflus said. "I think we'll see how it goes. We had [Ryan] Bates there, and he's played there. [Coleman] Shelton's played there and at center. Davis has played there… he's been our starter. I expect him to be in there [at right guard]."
Bates has solid experience at right guard specifically and if Davis continues to cause issues during camp or into the season, having Bates at right guard and Shelton at center might be the best starting five the Bears can deploy up-front.
Who will be the swing tackle:
This one could be the hidden battle worth focusing on the most on the offensive line during training camp. Last season, the Bears swing tackle was Larry Borom, who is returning on a contract year but his situation becomes interesting due to his play time in 2023. Borom's 2023 snap count allowed him to hit the escalator in his rookie contract, bumping his 2024 salary to $3.12 million.
That's a high number for a backup tackle to keep on the roster, especially when the team added three other tackles at a lower price. This is where Amegadjie's impact on the offensive line comes into play, but if he's not healthy enough to suit up for the start of camp, Matt Pryor and Jake Curhan will be the ones fighting for the spot.
Biggest Training Camp Sleeper at OL: Theo Benedet
When it comes to finding a sleeper up-front who could force his way onto the 53-man roster during training camp, UDFA Theo Benedet is the player I have my eye on.
It's easy to go with Pryor or Curhan or even Ja'Tyre Carter for this spot but I want to see the former Canadian offensive lineman make things interesting. Benedet already has a great relationship with the team's offensive line coach and has the ability to play all five positions, but lined up at right guard during rookie minicamp. Morgan believes Benedet is athletic enough to play on the outside and strong enough to play on the inside while being an overall smart player.
“I understand my path to the 53 will probably be as a backup, sixth, seventh guy,” Benedet told The Athletic. “So if I can fill in at all five positions, that helps me get on the roster.”
Chicago Bears Training Camp Battle Preview: Rome Odunze returning punts could push other WRs off the roster
How will the position shake out?
