How do things shake up with the offensive line?
One of the biggest concerns with the Chicago Bears is the offensive lines. We are used to seeing the unit battered and bruised. That has been the case both with injuries as well as the play on the field. We just have not seen the unit jell and perform well.
Last season, the interior of the line was a concern. The center spot was a sore spot. Both Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick dealt with injuries and struggled when they played. Nate Davis dealt with the death of his mother, which was very difficult. When he did come back and play, he struggled. The hope is that with the time passed, he performs better this season.
Teven Jenkins has been good when he plays. However, he cannot stay healthy. No matter how good you are, you do no one any good by constantly being sidelined by injuries.
Bates and Shelton will battle for the center job. It seems, however, that the job is Shelton’s to lose. Bates lost his center job in 2022 and has not played center since. He spent his time playing guard so he could be an insurance policy for Jenkins. With his starting experience, he could step in and perform well.
Additionally, Bates could be auditioning for a future job. Jenkins is in the final year of his rookie contract. The Chicago Bears will think long and hard about rewarding him with a big new contract. Bates has another season after 2024 at a reasonable $4 million salary cap hit. Should Jenkins continue his injury-plagued ways Bates could replace him.
Then there is the tackle spot. We look forward to seeing Darnell Wright take another step up in his second season. He had a strong rookie campaign so that is hopeful.
On the other side is Braxton Jones. He is a great example of a player using the offseason camps to make an impression. In 2022, he was a fifth-round pick trying to make the team. He performed well in OTAs and the other camps. By the time he reached training camp the starting left tackle job was his to lose.
Now Jones has a challenge. Amegadjie could be the guy the Chicago Bears want to take over. As we saw with Jones if Amegadjie shows he can handle the position the team is willing to give him the job.
That will be an interesting battle. One of Jones’ weaknesses is his ability to handle the bull rush. He struggled with that in each of his two seasons. This is an area Amegadjie did a good job of in college. How he handles the pro-level rush is what will determine his success or failure.
If Amegadjie can take over as the starting left tackle Jones can still be a great backup. He can play either side and would give the Chicago Bears great depth at an important position.
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