Tag: Teven Jenkins

Bears GM Ryan Poles clears up Teven Jenkins trade rumors

Trade rumors involving Teven Jenkins have been circulating for the last month. Now, Bears GM Ryan Poles clears it up once and for all.

Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins has been the subject of trade reports dating back to early August. Even after Jenkins found new life at right guard, both NFL insiders Adam Schefter and Ian Rapoport believed the Bears would trade Jenkins.

Jenkins admitted that those trade reports, along with rumors of him clashing with coaches, left him feeling in a dark place over the last month.

But Bears general manager Ryan Poles cleared up those trade reports once and for all in an interview with The Hoge and Jahns Podcast. Poles said he never called other teams about trading Jenkins, which means it was just noise.

“It actually kind of blew my mind a little bit. So he’s out for a few days, and all of a sudden, there’s, like, trade rumors floating around, and I hadn’t called anybody.

“But what happens in the league is people call you because there’s rumors floating around, like, ‘What are you doing?’ And I’m live, ‘evaluating Teven. We’re seeing how he does.’ So his move to tackle to guard, he’s doing a good job and we’re happy about it. We got to the preseason games to see what it would look like, and he’s doing good.”

Poles praised Jenkins’ impressive skillset, including his aggressive style of play that’s helped him find new life on the offensive line.

“Physically, he is gifted,” Poles said. “What I love the most is his finish, his strain, his aggressive style that he’s playing with right now, and I hope he keeps it up.”

Poles admitted that he could’ve done a better job communicating with Jenkins. But Poles said he had a conversation with Jenkins that cleared things up.

“I told him, ‘I can improve on communicating better,’ and he said, ‘I can communicate better myself, too.’ But we got on the same page, and it’s good.”

[listicle id=515235]

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=none image=https://bearswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

Teven Jenkins doesn’t sound confident in his future with Bears

While Teven Jenkins is the presumptive starter at right guard, he admitted that he’s still not certain of his future with the Bears.

There’s been plenty of speculation about Teven Jenkins’ future in Chicago. But, at least for right now, Jenkins remains a Bear following final roster cutdowns.

“I still say it’s up in the air right now,” Jenkins said Tuesday, via NBC Sports Chicago. “There’s nothing solidified right now. Even if you make the 53-man roster, it doesn’t mean you’re going to be here tomorrow.”

After some roster shifting, Jenkins remains on the roster and is penciled in as the starter at right guard for the Week 1 opener against the 49ers.

It’s been a rollercoaster of emotions for Jenkins over the last month. After missing seven straight practices and dealing with reports about him clashing with coaches and the Bears looking to trade him, Jenkins admitted that he was in a dark place.

“To be honest, I got unhappy,” Jenkins said. “I was very unhappy. Then, as it kept going on because more talks kept coming, I was getting more unhappy about hearing about them and everything.

“A lot of unhappiness. A lot of talks, what I had to do with me and my agent, just a lot of things had to go down for me to be at the point where I’m at. Just start settling down and start getting ready.”

Jenkins has found new life in Chicago after transitioning from right tackle to right guard. Ahead of the Week 1 opener, Jenkins is the presumptive starter at right guard. Even so, Jenkins admitted that he’s still not confident in his future with the Bears. Although that’s not stopping him from preparing for the opener against the 49ers.

“There were many times I was wondering [if I would be here],” Jenkins said. “I was even wondering that (Tuesday). I’m just not sure about my future at all right now. Ultimately, I still can [be traded]. It’s just about attacking every day.”

The Bears claimed former first-round offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood on Wednesday, and his natural position just so happens to be guard. That doesn’t mean that Jenkins will be traded, but it also doesn’t guarantee Jenkins a starting job.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=none image=https://bearswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[pickup_prop id=”26542″]

[listicle id=515235]

Bear Necessities: What does Alex Leatherwood’s addition mean for offensive line?

The Bears claimed former first-rounder Alex Leatherwood off waivers, which certainly makes things interesting along the offensive line.

This is our online morning newsletter, Bear Necessities. Subscribe to get the latest Bears news delivered to your mailbox every day.

The Chicago Bears were the most active team on the waiver wire following final roster cutdowns, where they landed former first-round offensive lineman Alex Leatherwood.

The Bears were interested in Leatherwood during the 2021 NFL draft, but they traded up for quarterback Justin Fields. In that same draft, Chicago also traded up to select offensive lineman Teven Jenkins.

Which makes it interesting considering Leatherwood is now seemingly in a competition with Jenkins and fellow 2021 draft class mate Larry Borom at right guard and right tackle, respectively.

While Leatherwood played both right guard and right tackle in his rookie year with the Raiders, Leatherwood dominated at guard in his collegiate career at Alabama. It looks to be his natural position, so it’ll be interesting to see where the Bears have him fitting in.

The fact that Leatherwood only lasted one year in Las Vegas — as a new regime takes over in 2022 — isn’t a glowing review. He has a lot of work to do if he hopes to become an impactful offensive lineman down the road. Which is why coming to Chicago is a good situation.

The Bears appear to have their starting offensive line set, which means Leatherwood won’t be expected to contribute immediately. And if Jenkins or Borom ultimately prove to not be the answer at their respective positions, it opens the door for Leatherwood.

With Chicago claiming Leatherwood off waivers, they inherit his contract from Las Vegas. He still has three years left on his rookie deal, and he’s owed $5.9 million guaranteed.

Leatherwood wasn’t brought here to be a reserve. He was brought here to be an impact player down the line. We’ll see how that impacts the offensive line moving forward.

[pickup_prop id=”27262″]

Bears fans are happy with the claim of OT Alex Leatherwood

The news of OT Alex Leatherwood joining the Bears was a surprise to many, with most expressing happiness over the move.

The NFL waiver claim period concluded earlier on Wednesday and the Chicago Bears were busy working to improve their team. General manager Ryan Poles claimed six players off of waivers and headlining the list is former 2021 first-round tackle Alex Leatherwood.

Leatherwood was selected by the Las Vegas Raiders with the 17th overall selection in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Alabama. He was projected as a tackle, but moved inside to guard due to struggles on the outside. Leatherwood started all 17 regular season games for the Raiders in 2021, but wasn’t living up to expectations and struggled during this year’s preseason. The new regime in Las Vegas decided to cut ties early and put him on waivers before he started his second season.

The Bears chose to claim him, meaning they’re on the hook for his rookie contract that has $5.9 million left in guaranteed money. The claim opens the door for renewed competition for players like Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom, who appeared to have locked down the right guard and right tackle position in the preseason, respectively. Now with Leatherwood in the mix, all bets are off. Leatherwood is the second former first-round pick to join the offensive line, joining veteran Riley Reiff.

The news of Leatherwood joining the Bears was a surprise to many, with most expressing happiness over the move, while some are puzzled with the decision.

Ian Rapoport won’t rule out Bears trading Teven Jenkins before Tuesday’s deadline

Per Ian Rapoport, the Bears continue to engage in trade talks about Teven Jenkins and it’s “certainly possible” that a trade happens.

It’s been a rollercoaster of a summer for Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins, who went from reserve to presumptive starter in the matter of a month.

After missing seven practices and reports of the Bears engaging in trade talks, Jenkins has found new life at right guard, a position he just started playing a couple of weeks ago.

While it certainly appears that Jenkins has found his place on Chicago’s offensive line, one NFL insider isn’t ruling out the potential of the Bears trading Jenkins ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, the Bears continue to engage in trade talks about Jenkins and noted that it’s “certainly possible” that a trade could happen.

While this would’ve made sense a little less than a month ago — with Jenkins’ future in limbo — Jenkins has settled into the right guard position and is poised to be a starter heading into the Week 1 opener.

Barring an incredible offer, it doesn’t seem plausible that the Bears would deal their best right guard, especially with the offensive line being a focal point heading into 2022.

While it seems unlikely, it certainly bears monitoring ahead of the final roster cut deadline.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=none image=https://bearswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[pickup_prop id=”26542″]

[listicle id=514836]

[listicle id=514854]

Bears OL Teven Jenkins looking to seize starting opportunity in preseason finale

It’s been an eventful summer for Bears OL Teven Jenkins. Now, Jenkins is in prime position to start at right guard.

It’s been an eventful summer for Bears offensive lineman Teven Jenkins. The former second-round pick missed seven consecutive practices at the start of training camp and had to deal with rumors of him clashing with coaches and being on the trade block.

After returning to practice, Jenkins worked his way from the third-team to second-team right tackle before getting an opportunity at right guard. Now, Jenkins is in prime position to start at right guard heading into Week 1 of the regular season.

“It’s been like a rollercoaster and a mix of emotions for me,” Jenkins said. “Going from right tackle 3 to go to second right guard and I’m starting now, it’s a lot about seizing opportunity. That’s one thing I’m looking forward to doing this weekend.”

Jenkins has played his entire career at tackle — with the exception of his start in college — so it’s definitely been a transition to right guard.

“It’s like you have a dude right there, right now instead of all this space,” Jenkins said. “At tackle, you have a lot of time to think about what’s going to happen and a lot of space to do whatever technique you’re thinking about, and at guard it’s happening a lot quicker, like really fast.”

Jenkins made a transition to right guard just over a week ago, where he saw his first live action last Thursday after just two practices. Now, Jenkins says he feels a lot more comfortable at the position.

“A lot more comfortable than when I started because I actually had more reps under my belt and I’m starting to learn all the tendencies, all the consistency I need to have to be a guard instead of a tackle,” he said.

Jenkins has one more opportunity to prove that he’s deserving of the starting right guard job in Saturday’s preseason finale. Especially after head coach Matt Eberflus said there are jobs on the line.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=none image=https://bearswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=514457]

[listicle id=514513]

10 Players to watch in Bears’ final preseason game vs. Browns

Here are 10 players we’re keeping an eye on when the Bears take the field this preseason one last time before the regular season begins.

The preseason is about to come to a close for the Chicago Bears, but before they finalize their rosters for the regular season, they have a date with the Cleveland Browns. The Bears take on the Browns this Saturday evening in their preseason finale, beginning at 6:00 p.m. CT. With one last preseason game, the starters get a chance for a tune up, the bubble players have one last opportunity to earn a roster spot, and the team can go for an undefeated record before the real games begin.

With the starters likely playing well into the second quarter, according to head coach Matt Eberflus, it seems every healthy player will take the field at some point on Saturday night. That gives fans plenty to watch for throughout the game. Here are 10 players we’re keeping an eye on when the Bears take the field one last time before the regular season begins.

Offensive line jobs still on the line heading into Bears’ preseason finale

The Bears’ offensive line might’ve solidified over the last week, but Matt Eberflus said “this thing is still open.”

There’s a lot on the line heading into the Bears’ preseason finale against the Browns on Saturday. Not only are there players making one final push for a roster spot, but there are starting jobs still up for grabs.

That includes the offensive line, which has seen a number of different combinations since the start of training camp. While the Bears starting offensive line has started to become clearer with just a couple of weeks left until the Week 1 opener, head coach Matt Eberflus said that this competition is still open heading into Saturday’s game.

“We’re still in that evaluation mode with the offensive line,” Eberflus said. “We’re still looking at a lot of guys. We’re still looking at the combinations. I know we’re kind of solidified as of late, the recent one that’s been out there. But this thing is still open. So everybody’s got to put their best foot forward. They’ve got to perform this Saturday. They’ve got to get it done on the field.”

It’s a safe bet to assume rookie Braxton Jones, Cody Whitehair and an injured Lucas Patrick will be your starters at left tackle, left guard and center. But it’s the right side of the offensive line that’ll be the focus this weekend.

For the last week, it’s been Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom at right guard and right tackle, and it certainly seems like those are their jobs to lose. But they still need a strong showing in the preseason finale if they hope to hold off veterans Michael Schofield and Riley Reiff, respectively.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=none image=https://bearswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[listicle id=514513]

[listicle id=514457]

Winners and losers from Bears training camp

Here are our winners and losers following Bears training camp.

There are plenty of signs that show we’re in the final days of summer. Kids are going back to school, pumpkin spice drinks are becoming readily available, and training camp for the Chicago Bears has officially concluded.

The Bears wrapped up their training camp last weekend, marking the end of nearly a month of practices in front of fans at Halas Hall that also included two preseason games. Over 90 players were with the team at the start of camp and now after two rounds of cuts, that number shrunk to 80, with more hard decisions still on the way.

Aside from a couple of issues that were dragged out off the field, there haven’t been nearly any earth-shattering developments on it. Still, it’s been clear as to who came out a winner during camp and who might be on the opposite end. Here are our winners and losers following Bears training camp.

Bears could turn to Teven Jenkins, Larry Borom to anchor right side of offensive line

It feels like the right guard and right tackle jobs are Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom’s to lose.

There’s been a lot of movement along the Bears’ offensive line this offseason and into the preseason. And it sounds like Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom figure into the starting plans for Chicago.

Jenkins recently made the transition from tackle to guard, which is his best route to a starting job. Head coach Matt Eberflus praised Jenkins’ performance in last Thursday’s preseason game, which was his first game at right guard.

“He did a good job in the game; he played a solid game,” Eberflus said. “You think about that for a second, coming in there for a couple of days and then starting in there and playing. We were impressed. He did a nice job. Now he’s got to continue to grow at the position. Like everybody else on the team, he’s got a lot to work on. But he had a good first outing in there.”

Things have been a little easier on Borom, who maintained a starting role throughout the spring and most of the summer. But he found himself demoted to the second-team right tackle behind Riley Reiff. But with Reiff not playing in the preseason and Borom impressing, it sounds like Borom has the upper hand when it comes to the right tackle job.

“He’s been consistent. He’s been relatively consistent and he’s doing a good job in there,” Eberflus said. “Right now, he’s in that position as a starter, and then he’s got competition behind him, and we’ll see what happens. We’ll see if he can sustain that execution all the way through.”

Eberflus wouldn’t say whether Jenkins or Borom are locks at their respective positions. But it certainly sounds like they’re in a prime position to land those starting jobs.

“There’s a lot of things that can happen,” Eberflus said. “Like we said, we’re changing combinations, adjusting combinations. As you have seen over the course of training camp, a lot of things have changed. There’s a lot of adjustment going on. So, it’s about guys that can sustain the performance, that can sustain execution, and then take that to the first week. So, we’ll let that play out and see where it is.”

At this point, it feels like those jobs on the right side are Jenkins and Borom’s to lose.

[mm-video type=playlist id=01eqbve7kb6he6scwe player_id=none image=https://bearswire.usatoday.com/wp-content/plugins/mm-video/images/playlist-icon.png]

[pickup_prop id=”24466″]

[listicle id=514354]

[listicle id=514246]