NFL Personnel People Aren’t High On Chicago Bears’ Interior O-Line
The Chicago Bears feel good about where their offense is going into 2024. It is easy to see why. Caleb Williams arrived with all his hype to take over at quarterback. He’ll have a trio of talented wide receivers in D.J. Moore, Keenan Allen, and Rome Odunze. Cole Kmet has become a quality tight end. D’Andre Swift leads a balanced running back room. It’s an exciting group. However, one area of uncertainty has a lot of people nervous. That is the offensive line. The odd thing is this has nothing to do with talent.
GM Ryan Poles has actually assembled a solid group in that regard. The issue is healthy. Three of the four starters from last year missed at least four games with various ailments. On top of that, it appears the wider NFL isn’t sold on who the Bears have put together on the interior offensive line. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN polled several executives, coaches, and scouts to assemble a ranking of the best in the league. Not only did the Bears fail to see one of their players crack the top 10 or honorable mentions, they didn’t even receive a single vote.
Also receiving votes: Brandon Scherff (Jacksonville Jaguars), Ryan Kelly (Indianapolis Colts), Peter Skoronski (Tennessee Titans), Tyler Linderbaum (Baltimore Ravens), Kevin Dotson (Los Angeles Rams), Ted Karras (Cincinnati Bengals), Jonah Jackson (Los Angeles Rams), Isaac Seumalo (Pittsburgh Steelers), Steve Avila (Los Angeles Rams), O’Cyrus Torrence (Buffalo Bills), Drew Dalman (Atlanta Falcons)
The Chicago Bears are taking a calculated gamble.
There is no denying their players were blanked from the rankings because of inconsistency. Teven Jenkins has top-10 ability, but he’s missed 20 games in his first three seasons. Nate Davis also has trouble staying on the field. He can be so good at times but then seems to vanish for one reason or another. Chicago doesn’t even have a definitive starter at center. They’re moving forward with a competition between Ryan Bates (a former backup guard) and Coleman Shelton, who wasn’t good enough to get re-signed by the Los Angeles Rams.
The truth is Poles had to focus his resources on areas he felt were more important. Tackle was one, having drafted Darnell Wright in the 1st round a year ago. Quarterback is obvious, as is the wide receiving corps. The interior offensive line is important, but you can get away with playing decent guys there if the other areas are strong. One thing is certain. If that area becomes a problem this season, the Chicago Bears will aggressively try to upgrade it next off-season.