The Chicago Bears defensive back depth could help the team acquire line reinforcements
One thing became clear during training camp and the preseason: the Bears’ offensive line looks the same. Based on what has been shown in limited preseason action, Caleb Williams might be in for a long year.
The battered Bears o-line hanging on by a thread
The Bears offensive line is banged up. Nate Davis seems perpetually injured, Darnell Wright hasn’t been at 100 percent, and Teven Jenkins has also been dealing with minor injuries. Rookie Kiran Amegadjie also picked up an injury early on and has just recently returned to practice. All these injuries, combined with the fact that the Chicago Bears still have a question mark at center, should raise some alarms.
A poor offensive line puts a lot of pressure on a quarterback, even more so on a rookie. Ideally, a rookie quarterback is eased into the NFL behind a solid offensive line. That way, he can get used to the speed and complexity of NFL football without running for his life on every play. Solving the offensive line issues could be key to Caleb Williams success.
Bears insider Josh Schrock noted the Bears limited depth on the offensive line after the Bears preseason victory over the Kansas City Chiefs on Thursday.
Schrock discussed the limited depth on the offensive line means the Bears can’t really afford to make any cuts.
“(Larry )Borom and (Bill) Murray entered the game on the fringe while (Jake) Curhan was on the outside looking in.
Borom has value as a swing tackle, but he is due $3.2 million this season after hitting an escalator in his contract last season. That number made Borom a likely cut candidate, but the lack of reliable depth options at tackle made the picture murky.
But Borom suffered an injury on the second drive Thursday. Bears trainers checked on his lower leg before bringing out the cart to take him away.
If Borom’s injury is severe, the Bears would have Amegadjie and Pryor as their backup tackles. Borom’s injury could also allow either Murray or Curhan to grab one of the final roster spots.” – Josh Schrock
The Chicago Bears addressed most of their needs on offense in the offseason, except the offensive line. The Bears did trade for Ryan Bates and signed Matt Pryor. These additions while solid, don’t look as impactful with the laundry list of injuries the unit has.
Defensive backs could be the solution to the Chicago Bears o-line woes
The Chicago Bears have a large number of solid defensive backs. This feature of the roster could provide Ryan Poles with some ammo to trade for an offensive lineman or two.
According to ESPN, here are the Bears starters in the secondary:
Jaylon Johnson (left corner), Tyrique Stevenson (right corner), Kyler Gordon (nickel back), Kevin Byard III (free safety), Jaquan Brisker (strong safety).
The Chicago Bears have a total of nine defensive backs (not including safeties) on the depth chart right now. That number is likely to decrease with 53-man roster cuts due next week. But before then, the Bears could look to trade one or two of the DBs to get some quality offensive line reinforcements.
Reddy Stewart could be a valuable trade piece Stewart had a fantastic game in the Chicago Bears win over the Chiefs on Thursday. He recorded two tackles and two interceptions, one of which was returned for a touchdown.
Stewart could be on the trad block because he current sits as the fourth nickel back on the depth chart. He is unlikely to see playing time with Greg Stroman Jr. and Colin Blackwell ahead of him.
There are eight safeties currently on the Chicago Bears depth chart. Tarvarius Moore could be a solid trade piece for Ryan Poles to use. Moore is a five-year veteran with Super Bowl experience. Injuries have derailed what look to be the beginning of a promising career for the former 49er. He could still be valuable to a team who is desperate for depth at safety, which the Bears are not.
Defensive backs have increased value in the modern NFL. With a focus on passing offense, good defensive backs are more valuable than ever. Ryan Poles could take advantage of that value and trade for some more help for the offensive line.
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