Can this OL be "fixed" in one offseason?

ThatGuyRyan

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I've been saying this since neither Cody or Daniels took off with the job, the bears need a real center. I'd prefer a veteran. I'd then draft LT first or second rd. Daniels seems settled at G, let him and Cody battle out for LG and the loser takes RG. You then have two backup centers, a backup LG. I'd take the T and let him compete for starting job with Leno, Leno then becomes a swing tackle. You'd have to find a retread, or keep Massie around for another year? Maybe Spriggs shows something these last few games. I'd probably keep the young late rounders around for backups and sign backup depth in FA.

Coward and Ifedi are straight up trash.

So yeah, you can
 

satchice

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They can’t afford either of these plans.

That is probably close to 30 million in OL spending.
cutting Leno, Massie, and Graham saves us almost 20 million, and you could back load the contracts to make them work. Maybe we could shop Fuller for a 2nd or 3rd round pick to save an additional 11 million.
 

satchice

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They can’t afford either of these plans.

That is probably close to 30 million in OL spendin
Joe Thuney or Matt Skura are going to get around 8-10 Mil and what do you think Alejandro Villanueva is worth at 32 yo? 20Million?? I think he is going to get 8 max
 

Montucky

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Joe Thuney or Matt Skura are going to get around 8-10 Mil and what do you think Alejandro Villanueva is worth at 32 yo? 20Million?? I think he is going to get 8 max
Matt Skura just got benched. Now he was benched mostly a scapegoat because Lamar Jackson is in a state of total collapse, but benched nonetheless. Will be really interesting to see where his value winds up, I thought he was a guy certain to get $20m guaranteed but now who knows.
 

Montucky

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The guy I really, really want is Taylor Moton. Will the Panthers be stupid enough to let him walk? Maybe, he is a right tackle and they might think he's overvalued as such but if he winds up on the market the Bears will do whatever it takes to get in on those sweepstakes.
 

rawdawg

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Matt Skura just got benched. Now he was benched mostly a scapegoat because Lamar Jackson is in a state of total collapse, but benched nonetheless. Will be really interesting to see where his value winds up, I thought he was a guy certain to get $20m guaranteed but now who knows.

Just coming to post this. But PFF doesn't like Skura very much this year. I was thinking like you he'd get a big contract among the top at his position.
 

Montucky

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Just coming to post this. But PFF doesn't like Skura very much this year. I was thinking like you he'd get a big contract among the top at his position.
Well between him getting benched and Baltimore throwing all their spare cash at Ronnie Stanley (absolutely the right move, by the way) we at least know Skura will be available.
 

satchice

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Matt Skura just got benched. Now he was benched mostly a scapegoat because Lamar Jackson is in a state of total collapse, but benched nonetheless. Will be really interesting to see where his value winds up, I thought he was a guy certain to get $20m guaranteed but now who knows.
20million for a center, that is crazy! Do you know that the highest paid center is Ryan Kelly at 12 million average. The highest Paid Guard on a multi year deal is Brandon Brooks averaging 14.5 Million, and if you take the top 10 LTs their average cap hit is 16.5 million per.
 

Montucky

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20million for a center, that is crazy! Do you know that the highest paid center is Ryan Kelly at 12 million average. The highest Paid Guard on a multi year deal is Brandon Brooks averaging 14.5 Million, and if you take the top 10 LTs their average cap hit is 16.5 million per.
Twenty million guaranteed. How that gets broken up by years, bonuses, salary etc. I cant begin to really know.
 

satchice

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Twenty million guaranteed. How that gets broken up by years, bonuses, salary etc. I cant begin to really know.
Oh okay like 20 million for 2 years I could see that.. but that is really only like 10million cap hit per year
 

Zvbxrpl

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Of course it can be.

'Will it be' is an entirely different story. Especially if Ryan Pace is making the moves.
 

WindyCity

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Joe Thuney or Matt Skura are going to get around 8-10 Mil and what do you think Alejandro Villanueva is worth at 32 yo? 20Million?? I think he is going to get 8 max

Joe Thuney is going to get 14-16 million. He is one of the best OGs in the league coming off a franchise tag.

Villeaniava will get 14 million.
 

WindyCity

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Don't resign ARob, cut Leno, Massie, Skrine, Graham, extend Hicks and Fuller.

If you are willing to lose Arob then you can likely afford a major OL signing.

The other things are happening just for us to be functional.
 

rawdawg

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The offensive line can and should be better. But I think the "fix" is a 2-year proposition. They are stuck under Whitehair's contract. Daniels is on the last year of his rookie deal. And I'm guessing Leno will be back.

So, think they add a veteran interior lineman. With Daniels able to play LG and C, and Whitehair C and RG, you don't have to have a guy handpicked for the right side. You can even sign an experienced center to solidify the leadership on the line. I think they spend anywhere from 2.5- 6Mil cap hit on the starter. I'd also bring in a vet minimum backup like Kush, Witzmann and Larsen have been in the past. Then, I'd draft a guy by the 5th at the latest.

At tackle, with the assumption Leno stays, in a deep tackle draft, I'd definitely use one of the first 2 picks on RT. And bring in a slightly more than vet minimum swing tackle (think more Cornelius Lucas type than Jason Spriggs type). Has to be good enough to make it worth benching Leno early in the season if he can't get it together.

Leno- Daniels/Whitehair/FA- rookie OT as the starters;
Bench = vet minimum interior, rookie OG, swing OT, last spot between Hambright, Bars, Mustipher, Simmons, whoever.

During the 2021 season, determine if Daniels is worth re-signing. Probably still can't move on from Whitehair until after 2022. But if Daniels is re-signed, draft another OT early in 2022. If not, draft interior OL early and spend money on a FA tackle. Hopefully, your early pick from this coming draft can be moved over to LT in his 2nd year and you only have to spend for a RT as the Bears still won't be flush with cash to throw around.
 

rawdawg

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Bears probably aren't going to be players for guys like Thuney, Scherff, and Villanueva. Probably looking more at the Austin Blythe types or a guy like Warford/Leary who sat out this season but can still play. Maybe you can get an Alex Mack type to sign for a Jimmy Graham like contract. But the Bears are probably more in the market for "stable" than they are "building block" as far as free agent linemen go.
 

Chicago Staleys

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Not with how Pace handed out contracts. No cap space.

Pace has set this franchise back 5 years.
 

Mdbearz

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I think it is entirely possible that we could sign a Tackle and Center or Guard and draft a tackle. Remember that Cody Whitehair is a Guard playing Center. I really like Alejandro Villanueva he is 32 years old now and he is on the last year of his 4 year 24 MIL contract his average yearly was 6 Million per year. Bear could offer him a 3 year 24 MIL. So, he would get a bump and be signed until he is 35. Having 3 years would give us flexibility to make the cap hit work.

Then you give a 8-10 mil / year contract to a guy like Joe Thuney to play Guard or Center Matt Skura. Signing Skura would improve the Center position and allow Whitehair to move over improving the Guard position. Then draft the best Tackle you can and start him at RT until he is ready to take over at LT.

Cutting our 2 tackles and Jimmy Graham would allow use to sign both players cap wise.

LT - Alejandro Villanueva -Steelers
LG - James Daniels
C - Matt Skura - Ravens
RG Cody Whitehair
RT Rookie

or

LT - Alejandro Villanueva -Steelers
LG - Joe Thuney -Pats
C - Cody Whitehair
RG -James Daniels
RT- Rookie

I do like the idea of getting a Center, then Whitehair and Daniels can play Guard HOWEVER, Skura was always a stop gap at Center for the Ravens, and he has been benched due to poor snaps and blocking. Whitehair is a better, and Center might just be more important than LT, because if you get a center then you should be able to improve the guard position, so 2 for 1.

The tackles are going to be the biggest need, and the Bears are terrible at getting first round tackles in the draft, so your second option of getting Villanueva as a stop gap and draft a rookie in the 2nd round let him play RT and if things work out he will eventually move to LT or Draft a LT in 22'
 

Luke

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fear not. according to biggs this morning, the OL will be reshuffled this week. Problem solved!

LT Leno
LG Whitehair
C Mustipher
RG Ifedi
RT Bars
 
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