Tag: Lucas Patrick

Bears 2023 training camp preview: Offensive line

Our next Bears position preview is the offensive line, a group that will look very different than it did in 2022.

Chicago Bears training camp is less than a month away, which means it’s time to start looking ahead at the roster the team is bringing to Lake Forest.

We’re unveiling our Bears 2023 training camp position previews, where we’re breaking down every player by position and examining the biggest question facing the group.

Rounding out the offensive side of the ball is the offensive line, a group that only has one projected starter playing the same position they played in 2022. Braxton Jones is back at left tackle but the rest of the line has done more shuffling than the 1985 Bears.

Teven Jenkins and Cody Whitehair were both prominent starters in 2022 who are now playing new positions, while newcomers Nate Davis and Darnell Wright were added to anchor the right side of the line. Meanwhile, players like Lucas Patrick and Larry Borom are now backups after entering last year’s camp as starters.

Here’s a closer look at the Bears’ offensive line heading into training camp.

Winners and losers following the Bears 2023 offseason

As we await the arrival of training camp, here are some of our winners and losers following the Bears offseason.

It’s been an eventful offseason for the Chicago Bears and general manager Ryan Poles. Armed with the most available cap space of any team in the league, coupled with holding the No. 1 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, the Bears had plenty of resources at their disposal and made the most of the opportunities to improve the team. In just his second offseason as general manager, Poles took plenty of swings and now has the Bears effectively set as they prepare for training camp.

The offseason isn’t quite over just yet and a surprise move or two could still be on the way, but the majority of the work has been completed. As we await the arrival of training camp, here are the winners and losers of the Bears offseason.

10 takeaways from final week of Bears’ 2023 OTAs

The Bears conducted their ninth practice of OTAs on Wednesday. Here’s what we learned from the final week:

The Chicago Bears kicked off their final week of Organized Team Activities (OTAs) at Halas Hall.

Chicago conducted their ninth voluntary OTA practice on Wednesday, which was the third open session to media. So there was plenty to glimpse from the final week, be it through practice or interviews.

There were plenty of storylines that came out of Wednesday’s practice, including the returns of Eddie Jackson, Jaylon Johnson and Nate Davis, as well as the continued connection between Justin Fields and DJ Moore and the defense making a big play.

Following the Bears’ ninth practice of OTAs, here’s what we learned:

Winners and losers following the Bears 2023 draft

Who got a boost from the Bears draft class and who could lose their spot? Here are our winners and losers following the Bears 2023 draft.

The dust is finally starting to settle after the 2023 NFL Draft and the Chicago Bears have 10 new players they selected over the course of three days who will hopefully become key contributors as early as this upcoming season. General manager Ryan Poles sought to fill key position groups on the team, specifically offensive and defensive line and he followed through. The picks were as follows:

  • Tackle Darnell Wright (first round, pick No. 10)
  • Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter Sr. (second round, pick No. 53)
  • Cornerback Tyrique Stevenson (second round, pick No. 56)
  • Defensive tackle Zacch Pickens (third round, pick No. 64)
  • Running back Roschon Johnson (fourth round, pick No. 115)
  • Wide receiver Tyler Scott (fourth round, pick No. 133)
  • Linebacker Noah Sewell (fifth round, pick No. 148)
  • Cornerback Terell Smith (fifth round, pick No. 165)
  • Defensive tackle Travis Bell (seventh round, pick No. 218)
  • Safety Kendall Williamson (seventh round, pick No. 258)

Of course it’s way too early to judge how any of these players will pan out, no matter how high or low they were selected. But we can begin looking at the veterans on the roster and how this draft class affects them. Here are the winners and losers now that the 2023 Bears draft class is set.

Ryan Poles believes Bears in ‘good shape’ at center

Bears GM Ryan Poles on center: “For right now, I feel good with Cody (Whitehair) and Lucas (Patrick) both as leaders and players.”

The Chicago Bears welcomed 10 new rookies to the roster in the NFL draft, but a center wasn’t among them.

Many expected Chicago to use one of their draft picks on a center, especially given it was a deep class. Instead, the Bears used seven picks to address the defense and three on offense. In fact, Chicago only drafted one offensive lineman in the draft — top pick Darnell Wright in the first round.

General manager Ryan Poles was asked about whether the Bears would look to add depth and youth in the future, but he believes the team is in “good shape” at center with veterans Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick.

“For right now, I feel good with Cody and Lucas both as leaders and players,” Poles said, via Courtney Cronin. “They’ve both played that position well in the past.”

The Bears signed guard Nate Davis in free agency, and it sounds like Whitehair is moving back to center, a position he last played in 2020, and one where he has plenty of experience.

When looking at how Chicago’s offensive line is shaking out, it’ll likely be Whitehair at center with Patrick serving as his backup and as a reserve along the interior.

Whitehair, who has two years left on his deal, has been a mainstay on the offensive line since he was drafted in 2016. Patrick signed a two-year deal last offseason to serve as center, but injuries limited him to just seven games in 2022.

Right now, the Bears’ expected starting offensive line is: Braxton Jones (LT), Teven Jenkins (LG), Whitehair (C), Davis (RG) and Wright (RT).

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Grading the Bears 2022 free agency class

Ryan Poles made many low-risk moves for the Bears last year in free agency. Here’s how we graded his signings.

The 2023 free agency period is almost here and the Chicago Bears are sure to be active with what should be an exciting offseason. With the most available cap space in the NFL, the Bears should be able to pay top dollar to the free agent of their choice. It’s a big difference from where the team was last offseason during Ryan Poles’ first year as general manager.

Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus took a more conservative approach to free agency, focusing on quantity with one and two-year deals as they had to manage millions of dollars in dead cap. None of their 2022 signings broke the bank, ensuring they had plenty of flexibility this offseason after they had a chance to evaluate the team.

Now that nearly a full year has passed since last free agency began, we graded each significant free agent signing the Bears made in 2022.

Predicting the fate of Bears’ roster cut candidates

Here’s a look at some Bears who have been considered cut candidates and what we believe will happen with them.

The Chicago Bears are in the midst of what could be a franchise-altering offseason, where general manager Ryan Poles will be looking to retool the league’s worst roster in 2022.

When looking at the Bears’ roster, there aren’t a lot of expensive contracts on the books. Safety Eddie Jackson has the biggest cap hit at $17.09 million, but he doesn’t feel like someone who could be on the chopping block.

Not to mention, Chicago is in an excellent place in terms of cap space, where they’re expected to have roughly $100 million, according to Spotrac. That’s the most in the NFL (by a wide margin).

But there are some veterans who could be cap casualties heading into the offseason, especially if Poles can find upgrades at their respective positions while saving some money along the way.

Here’s a look at some players who are considered cut candidates and what we believe will happen with them:

Bears 2023 free agency preview: Will the Sam Mustipher era finally come to an end?

Sam Mustipher has drawn the ire of Bears fans for the last two years due to his struggles at center. Will the team finally move on from him?

NFL free agency will be here before we know it, and the Chicago Bears have plenty of players set to hit the market. From key starters to valuable reserves, general manager Ryan Poles will have important decisions to make about who to bring back.

Here at Bears Wire, we’re going through each individual player and breaking down their 2022 performance and whether or not they fit in the Bears’ long-term plans.

Up next is center Sam Mustipher, who wound up playing a much bigger role than initially anticipated. But after another down year, will the Bears finally let him go?

4 Bears who could be salary cap casualties in 2023

These Bears veterans are on the chopping block.

The Chicago Bears are just beginning what could be a franchise-altering offseason, where general manager Ryan Poles will be looking to retool the league’s worst roster in 2022. And he has the resources to get it done.

When looking at the Bears’ roster, there aren’t a lot of expensive contracts on the books. Safety Eddie Jackson has the biggest cap hit at $17.09 million, but he doesn’t feel like someone who could be on the chopping block. He’s coming off a bounce back season, where he led the Bears with four interceptions before missing the final six games due to injury.

Not to mention, Chicago is in an excellent place in terms of cap space, where they’re expected to have $98.6 million, according to Spotrac. That’s the most in the NFL (by a wide margin).

But there are some veterans who could be cap casualties heading into the offseason, especially if Poles can find upgrades at their respective positions while saving some money along the way.

Here are some cut candidates for the Bears this offseason:

Lucas Patrick: Bears’ Justin Fields had ‘night and day’ improvement in 2022

Lucas Patrick praised the vast improvement from Bears teammate Justin Fields this season.

While the Bears finished with the worst record in the NFL, the 2022 season was deemed a success given the development of second-year quarterback Justin Fields.

Someone who took notice of Fields’ improvement was his center Lucas Patrick, who landed on injured reserve after Week 7. Patrick praised Fields for his “night and day” improvement from the first half to the second half of the 2022 season.

“We saw the explosive plays he made during the latter half of the season and the things he was able to do both throwing and running the ball,” Patrick said, via NBC Sports Chicago. “It was excellent.”

Patrick credited Fields’ improvement to growing more comfortable in offensive coordinator Luke Getsy’s scheme as the season progressed.

“I really think it was the confidence and him knowing when certain plays are coming,” Patrick said. “As a player you know, this play’s being called, this is my time to make the play, and he stepped up in those moments. We saw that at the end of the season.”

While the Bears’ passing game was the worst in the league all season, people seem to forget that Fields has impressive accuracy. That arm talent is something that Patrick couldn’t help but notice.

“He throws a beautiful deep ball,” Patrick said. “As quarterbacks, there’s one, two, three balls. You know, one is direct, two has got a little zip on it and three has got that nice, beautiful arc ‘go’ ball. He might throw one of the better three balls I’ve seen in a long time.”

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