Tag: bears offensive line

B/R believes Bears should target proven option at guard in Josh Kline

Ahead of the NFL Draft, the Bears could scour the remaining free agent market and add a quality veteran like OG Josh Kline.

With the 2020 NFL Draft less than two weeks away, the Chicago Bears are gearing up for what’s an important draft for general manager Ryan Pace.

Considering the Bears have just two picks in the first four rounds — both second rounders at 43 and 50 — Pace needs to make those two count. And with no shortage of roster needs, Pace has his work cut out for him.

But before the NFL Draft kicks off April 23, Bleacher Report has scoured the remaining free agent market, and they’ve pinpointed one player that each team should sign. For the Bears, that’s offensive guard Josh Kline.

Chicago figures to target a guard at some point in the draft, but it should add more veteran insurance beforehand. The Bears took a flier on Germain Ifedi in free agency, but he struggled to establish himself as a reliable starter throughout his four-year tenure with the Seattle Seahawks.

Josh Kline, on the other hand, has been a consistent starter for the past five seasons. Though he would represent a step down from a fully healthy Long, Kline would at least give Chicago a proven option.

Following Kyle Long’s retirement, the Bears have a starting right guard job up for grabs. Right now, it figures to be a three-way race between newcomer Germain Ifedi, Alex Bars and Rashaad Coward. It also wouldn’t be a surprise if Pace targets an interior offensive lineman in the NFL Draft later this month.

If the Bears wanted to add a proven veteran to the mix, Kline, a five-year starter, would be a good fit. While Chicago is also in need of a starting guard, they’re also searching for depth on the offensive line. Even if Kline didn’t win the starting job, he’d be good depth for the Bears at a position that had its share of injuries in 2019.

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Bears have met with Houston OT Josh Jones twice ahead of NFL Draft

The Bears are showing interest in Houston OT Josh Jones, who they’ve met with at least twice ahead of the 2020 NFL Draft.

There are no shortage of roster needs for the Chicago Bears, especially on the offensive side of the ball. But perhaps one of Chicago’s biggest concerns is the offensive line, which has questions at both guard and tackle.

Houston offensive tackle Josh Jones is someone the Bears appear to be interested in, as they’ve met with him at least twice ahead of the NFL Draft later this month.

Jones had a private visit with Chicago before the coronavirus outbreak, and he recently met with them through FaceTime, according to Draft Wire’s Justin Melo.

The Bears have addressed offensive line this offseason with the addition of new offensive line coach Juan Castillo, as well as the free-agent signing of Germain Ifedi. While Ifedi played right tackle most of his four-year NFL career, he figures to compete for the vacant right guard spot.

While Charles Leno Jr. and Bobby Massie will be the starters at left tackle and right tackle, respectively, their future beyond 2020 isn’t as certain. If the Bears decided to part ways with Leno next offseason, they’d save $6.2 million in cap space with a dead-cap hit of $5.1 million. For Massie, the Bears would save $5.4 million in cap space with $3.9 million in dead money.

If the Bears target an offensive tackle in the NFL Draft, they’ll be building for the future. Jones is considered one of the top offensive tackles in this year’s draft class. Jones played mostly at left tackle during his collegiate career, and he’d figure to be the heir apparent to Leno should the Bears decide to part ways with him.

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Offensive line dubbed Bears’ biggest red flag heading into NFL Draft

Heading into the NFL Draft, there are no shortage of issues for the Bears on offense. But offensive line might be the biggest need.

When you have one of the NFL’s worst offenses, there’s not just one position that’s plaguing your team. As was the case for the Chicago Bears last season, who saw questionable play from quarterback, tight ends, offensive line and even play caller.

The Bears haven’t ignored those offensive flaws this offseason, as they’ve signed tight end Jimmy Graham and offensive lineman Germain Ifedi, as well as traded for Nick Foles. They even brought in four new offensive coaches that specialize in the areas of concern on offense.

But general manager Ryan Pace isn’t done, and he faces an incredibly important NFL Draft this month, once again without a first-round pick. But Pace does have a pair of second rounders, and there are no shortage of needs on offense — or even defense.

As for what is the Bears’ biggest issue headed into the NFL Draft, Bleacher Report believes that the offensive line needs to be addressed.

However, if the Bears are going to engineer a turnaround in 2020 under either Mitchell Trubisky or Nick Foles, something needs to be done about an offensive line that took a substantial step backward in 2019.

In 2018, the Bears struggled in run blocking (28th per Football Outsiders) but had a top-10 line in pass protection. A year ago, the pass pro also dropped way off—from seventh in 2018 to 21st in 2019.

While the Bears did add Ifedi, who’s expected to compete with Alex Bars and Rashaad Coward for the vacant starting right guard job, Chicago’s offensive line woes run deeper than guard.

Ultimately the Bears are financially strapped to their tackles for at least another season — with Charles Leno Jr. and Bobby Massie owed big pay days. But it wouldn’t hurt for Pace to look for a tackle for the future on an offensive line that had its share of issues last season.

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Germain Ifedi will compete for starting right guard job

The Bears see newly-acquired OL Germain Ifedi competing for the starting right guard job with Alex Bars and Rashaad Coward.

The Chicago Bears’ offensive line issues are well-documented. And it’s a unit that, after a strong 2018 campaign, faltered last season.

Couple that with veteran Kyle Long’s retirement, and there’s now a vacancy at right guard that the Bears are looking to fill.

They’re hoping that newly-acquired offensive lineman Germain Ifedi is the answer. Chicago signed the former first-round pick, who was a four-year starter with the Seattle Seahawks, to a low-risk, high-reward one-year deal where the hope is he can grow into a long-term starter on the Bears’ offensive line.

While Ifedi has served as a right tackle for the Seahawks over the past three seasons, he does have experience at right guard, which is where he played in his rookie season.

But Ifedi won’t just be handed the starting role. As is the theme for this year for Matt Nagy and the Bears, there will be competition at multiple positions this offseason. Right guard among them.

Ifedi will compete with Alex Bars, Rashaad Coward and presumably a rookie that the Bears could target in the NFL Draft later this month.

The Bears have plenty of issues to fix on offense this offseason, offensive line among them. While finding the starting right guard won’t magically cure the rest of the unit’s struggles, Chicago is banking on the addition of offensive line coach Juan Castillo to right the ship.

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Germain Ifedi could wind up being a steal for Bears if he pans out

Considering the Bears locked up OL Germain Ifedi at the veteran minimum this year, this is a win-win for Chicago.

Offensive line remains a top priority for the Chicago Bears this offseason. With a vacant right guard spot up for grabs and stability needed as a unit, general manager Ryan Pace has his work cut out for him.

The Bears’ lone move at offensive line this free agency has been bringing in former first-round pick Germain Ifedi on a one-year contract. Details of his deal hadn’t been revealed until now. And, as it turns out, Ifedi could wind up being a steal for the Bears if he pans out.

According to Field Yates, the Bears signed Ifedi to a one-year deal with a base salary of $910,000 and $137,500 signing bonus. Basically, Chicago snagged a four-year starter and former first-rounder for the veteran minimum.

Ifedi has been one of the most penalized players in the league. Last season with the Seattle Seahawks, Ifedi had 13 penalties, which was tied for fifth in the NFL. He’s also been lackluster at times, particularly in pass protection.

If Ifedi can clean up the penalties and prove to be a reliable option at right guard, the Bears could find themselves a long-term starter.

Considering the Bears locked him up at the veteran minimum this year, this is a win-win for Chicago. If Ifedi doesn’t pan out, the Bears didn’t pay him a ton of money. But if Ifedi does pan out, they’ll have managed to find an answer at right guard for the future.

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Guard remains one of biggest offseason needs for Bears

The Bears offense was embarrassingly bad in 2019, although it was difficult to place the blame on one position. But OL remains a big need.

The Chicago Bears had one of the worst offenses in the NFL last season. And that’s not hyperbole.

They ranked near the bottom of most statistical categories and were embarrassingly bad at times in 2019. (Remember that time they had nine total yards of offense in one half of football against the Philadelphia Eagles?)

But when it comes to fixing the offense, unfortunately you can’t pinpoint one specific position that, if fixed, would flip a switch in the unit. Quarterback, tight end, offensive line, play caller. You name it, there was blame to go around.

Righting the ship on offense has been a focal point of this offseason for the Bears, which has included four new offensive coaches — offensive coordinator Bill Lazor, quarterbacks coach John DeFilippo, offensive line coach Juan Castillo and tight ends coach Clancy Barone — that are experts at the positions that snake-bit the Bears offense in 2019.

General manager Ryan Pace has also been active in free agency, bringing in tight ends Jimmy Graham and Demetrius Harris, as well as trading for quarterback Nick Foles and signing former first-round guard Germain Ifedi. But there’s still plenty of work to be done on offense, especially heading into the late wave of free agency and the upcoming 2020 NFL Draft.

Like many, Bleacher Report believes offensive line — specifically, guard –remains the Bears’ biggest need late in free agency. Following Kyle Long’s retirement, Chicago has a gaping hole at the right guard position.

This leaves guard as a major position of need, though it already has been one over the last couple of years—Long played just 12 games in that span. The Bears experimented with shifting Cody Whitehair from center to guard but moved him back after center James Daniels struggled to replace him.

This is arguably the only significant question mark on Chicago’s offense aside from the quarterback position. The Bears potentially addressed that, however, by trading for Nick Foles. While Foles won’t be handed the starting job, he’ll have a chance to snatch it away from incumbent Mitchell Trubisky.

There are no shortage of questions on Chicago’s offensive line, including both tackle spots, but the Bears are financially stuck with Charles Leno and Bobby Massie through 2020.

What the Bears don’t have, currently, is a starting right guard, although there are two players currently on the roster expected to compete for that starting spot in newly-acquired Ifedi and highly-touted undrafted free agent Alex Bars.

Chicago is also expected to address the offensive line in the 2020 NFL Draft. While the Bears don’t know who their starting quarterback is just yet between Mitchell Trubisky and Foles, it won’t matter if other issues, like offensive line, aren’t addressed.

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Bears fall in NFL.com’s post free agency power rankings

Following the early wave of free agency, not many have the Bears pegged for a bounce-back year, as evidenced by NFL.com’s power rankings.

Following a disappointing 2019 season, no one has much confidence in the Chicago Bears. Except maybe themselves.

Even after this early wave of free agency, where the Bears signed pass rusher Robert Quinn and tight end Jimmy Graham, as well as traded for quarterback Nick Foles, not many have Chicago pegged for a bounce-back year.

Which is evident in NFL.com’s post free agency/trade power rankings, where the Bears dropped five spots to No. 22.

The Bears did what everyone expected, bringing in a veteran name brand to compete with Mitch Trubisky. That veteran is Nick Foles, the former Super Bowl MVP who endured a nightmarish (but very lucrative) one-season stint with the Jaguars. Trubisky will likely enter training camp as the presumed starter, but holding off Foles will be much more difficult than fending off Chase Daniel was a year ago.

Put it this way: There’s a very good chance Foles ends up starting more games next year than the former first-round pick hypothetically ahead of him on the depth chart. The Robert Quinn signing was … fine. The move to bring in 33-year-old Jimmy Graham, who did next to nothing with Aaron Rodgers throwing him spirals, makes you wonder if GM Ryan Pace will ever figure out the tight end position.

The criticisms are no different from what we’ve heard over the last few months. The Bears didn’t make the quarterback position significantly better with the addition of Nick Foles, who will battle with Mitchell Trubisky for the starting job.

Chicago’s offense continues to be plagued by the tight end position, which is key in Matt Nagy’s offense. So it hasn’t helped that Bears tight ends were collectively among the worst in the NFL last season. Bringing in Graham, while na upgrade, doesn’t exactly cure their tight end woes.

Surprisingly, offensive line wasn’t mentioned as an area of concern. While the Bears added former first-round pick Germain Ifedi, who will likely compete for the starting right guard job, some of the same issues remain.

Ultimately, any questions surrounding the Bears are regarding the offense, not the defense. Until Chicago can find stability on offense, they’re going to be battling criticism and other NFL teams in their pursuit of a return to the playoffs.

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Former All-Pro guard Kelechi Osemele could be upgrade Bears need on O-line

The Bears desperately need offensive line help at the guard position, so could Kelechi Osemele be the upgrade they’re looking for?

Cordarrelle Patterson continues to recruit players to join the Chicago Bears, and his latest target is former All-Pro guard Kelechi Osemele.

From the look of his response to Patterson, Osemele might be interested in signing with the Bears, where he would have a good chance to win the starting right guard job.

Is Osemele the upgrade the Bears could use on the offensive line?

It’s no secret that the Bears need to severely upgrade their offensive line this offseason. The only move they’ve made so far is signing former Seattle Seahawk German Ifedi. Ifedi is expected to play right guard to start 2020, but if I’m the Bears, I don’t feel comfortable with him succeeding Kyle Long.

Osemele, who is still currently a free agent, could come to the Bears with a good chance at winning the starting job and would be a huge piece to this team addressing some offensive line concerns.

The only concern is Osemele’s injury history. Last season with the New York Jets, Osemele played with a torn labrum and opted for surgery. The Jets had an issue with how he handled the injury his way and ultimately released him mid-season.

If you were general manager Ryan Pace, would you take a chance on a healthy Osemele to fill that need at right guard? Or would you feel more comfortable with Ifedi or Alex Bars?

Bringing Osemele to Chicago would definitely help redeem this weird offseason for the Bears.

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5 things to know about new Bears OL Germain Ifedi

The Bears finally addressed OL with the free-agent signing of former 1st-round pick Germain Ifredi. Get to know Chicago’s newest player.

Heading into the offseason, the Bears knew that offensive line was a major concern that needed to be addressed. Which is why it was a surprise that Chicago didn’t make any moves during the early wave of free agency.

The Bears finally addressed offensive line with the free-agent signing of former first-round draft pick Germain Ifredi. Chicago essentially signed Ifredi to a one-year prove it deal.

And, considering Ifredi’s struggles in Seattle, he certainly has a lot to prove if he wants a future in Chicago.

Here are five things to know about the Bears newest offensive lineman:

1. Ifedi is another first-round bust signed by Bears

Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

Ryan Pace hasn’t found much luck with his own first-round selections (see: Kevin White, Leonard Floyd, Mitchell Trubisky). So, instead, he’s turning to other team’s failed first-round picks in hopes that they’ll find new life in Chicago.

Ifedi is the latest first-round selection that didn’t earn a second contract from his original team, joining the likes of new cornerback Artie Burns and outside linebacker Barkevious Mingo.

Ifedi was selected by the Seahawks with the 31st selection in the 2016 NFL Draft, and he’s been one of the more polarizing guys on the roster. After Seattle declined to pick up his fifth-year option ahead of the 2019 season, everyone knew the writing was on the wall in regards to his future with the Seahawks.

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Free Agency: Grading the Bears’ signing of OL Germain Ifedi

Germain Ifedi comes on a cheap 1-year deal to compete for the starting RG spot with the potential to become a contributor for the Bears.

Heading into this offseason, offensive line was one of the Bears’ biggest needs. Following a collective disappointing effort, that included a non-existent run game, it prompts change.

While that change isn’t likely to happen this season, given the monetary commitments to three starters on the offensive line, there’s definitely work that needs to be done, which explains the addition of new offensive line coach Juan Castillo.

Given offensive line was a major concern, it was a surprise that the Bears didn’t try to bring in help during the early wave of free agency, including filling a vacant right guard spot left by retired guard Kyle Long.

The Bears finally made their move on Wednesday, bringing in former first-round offensive lineman Germain Ifredi. But, like several first-round busts that Chicago has added this free agency, Ifredi came on a cheap deal for a reason.

Ifedi has been one of the most penalized players in the league. Last season, Ifedi had 13 penalties, which was tied for fifth in the NFL. There’s also the fact that he’s been lackluster at times, particularly in pass protection.

What Ifedi does bring to the table is experience and versatility. Ifedi has started 60 games over the last four seasons in Seattle, and he’s played at both the guard and tackle positions. Given the offensive line’s penchant for injuries last season — on the right side of the line — Ifedi’s versatility makes him an asset.

While Ifedi hasn’t lived up to his first-round status, the Bears are hoping that perhaps they find a contributor in the former 31st overall pick.

But there’s also the possibility that a change of scenery is what Ifedi needs to finally succeed. Maybe one team’s bust is another team’s treasure? Then again, don’t count on it when it comes to operating on Chicago’s flimsy offensive line.

Ultimately, Ifedi comes on a cheap one-year deal to compete for the starting right guard with the potential to become a solid contributor. If he sucks, he’s gone. If he doesn’t suck, well, that’s welcomed progress on the offensive line.

Grade: C+

What do you think, Bears fans? How would you grade Chicago’s acquisition of Ifedi?

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