Bear Digest

Bears Appear Serious About Line Rebuild

The emphasis on offensive linemen of all types and quicker lighter ones especially was apparent from the Bears during the combine.

Gene Chamberlain

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Tennessee-Chattanooga guard/center Cole Strange described his meeting process with some of the NFL teams in Indianapolis and how much he enjoyed it.

At that point he'd had formal interviews with the Chargers, the Vikings, Ravens, 49ers, Raiders and Bengals. And the Bears.

"I think the worst part is we don't get a whole bunch of sleep," Strange said. "But for the most part, I think it's cool as hell. We'd do the formal interviews with most of the teams and we'd go in there and the entire coaching staff's in there and it's just me. So I feel like that's anyone's dream come true."

It wasn't all glad-handing.

"Maybe one that stood out was the Bears," Strange said. "Whenever I first got in there, the coach just immediately called me out on something I messed up on. I was like, 'Man.'

"But you know, it went well. He just asked me like, 'why do you do this?' So that one kind of stood out to me.' "

Already the new Bears brain trust is making an impact, it seems.

It should be good for Bears fans to at least know when GM Ryan Poles talked about wanting to improve his offensive line, he meant it. They're serious and apparently leaving no stones unturned. The combine was an example as they interviewed Iowa center Tyler Linderbaum even though he is a likely first-rounder and they have no first-round pick.

Strange Days 

Strange is a 305-pound guard who many teams project at center, although he admitted it's a new position and one he's still trying to grasp. He played there only a few games in 2019. He has a reputation for good hand usage and also being nasty, a reputation he enjoys.

"I think it's just I look at it as it's the only place you can just kind of be a (blank)head," Strange said. "You know, you can hurt somebody, you can bury somebody, you can kind of give an elbow in their neck. And people kind of revere you for that. And also, it's just fun, you know? Yeah, I just enjoy that."

Strange has experience at something the Bears no doubt would have liked and that involved the blocking scheme.

"We ran mostly outside zone," Strange said. "I had a couple different coaching staffs. But the last one I had was one that ran outside zone like 85 percent of the time."

It's the outside zone that is the scheme the Bears have interest in running as it's what offensive coordinator Luke Getsy knew with the Packers and a few other offensive assistants have expertise in, including new offensive line coach Chris Morgan.

"I feel like I would I would fit well in a zone-type scheme," Strange said. "I feel like I would fit well with any type scheme. I'm very comfortable running the outside zone.

"I feel like it does kind of suit my skillset because I feel like I'm quick enough to—I don't want to toot my own horn. I'm not like the fastest guy in the room—but I feel comfortable running that's for sure."

He wasn't the slowest guy, either, as he had the 15th fastest 40 time among all linemen at 5.03 seconds.

To the Max

Another lineman they talked with was Louisiana's Max Mitchell, who also has the reputation for being able to move well and is actually hoping to add weight to get to 310 pounds after playing right tackle at 299 for the Ragin' Cajuns.

"I met with basically all the teams, but informally you know, just on a floor, you know, at a table with maybe the assistant O-line coach or something like that," Mitchell said. "Only team I met with formally was the Bears."

The interviews seem to focus on whether Mitchell is rooted at one side of the offensive line but he said he can play either left or right tackle. The Bears last year had Elijah Wilkinson as a swing tackle backup but found when they needed a left tackle he really wasn't as comfortable moving to the left side.

"I played both my career, so really, but they're definitely curious," Mitchell said.

Mitchell has experience much like Strange.

"Running a zone scheme, you know, all four years in college, it's definitely what I'm most comfortable with," he said.

Khalil Herbert's Guy

Virginia Tech guard Lecitus Smith also talked to the Bears, and talked to them twice, but not with Poles there.

"I have not had the opportunity to sit down and talk with him," Smith said. "I did talk to them as well at the Reese's Senior Bowl. Have not had a formal with them. When I did meet with them, it was a good meeting, but it was one of their player rep people."

Smith is 318 pounds, has a reputation for strong hands, played one game at left tackle and the rest at left guard. But he has another connection to the Bears and that's his former teammate, running back Khalil Herbert.

"Khalil Herbert is my guy. That's my dude," Smith said. "I think I was literally talking to him two days ago, kinda just asking him about this process and different things like that. I'm very happy for Khalil."

Smith said he's been friends with Hebert since he first met him after Herbert transfered from Kansas.

"Usually when players are good, they have an ego about themselves and it's really a short conversation, but not him," Smith said. "Really down-to-earth guy, good player on and off the field."

He liked Herbert even more when they got on the field.

"We had so many running backs and we kinda didn't know who was gonna be our back, but seeing him run the ball in practice in different drills and stuff like that was definitely eye-opening, especially when it came to game time" Smith said. "We were a big zone team, inside zone, outside zone, and seeing him run the ball and find those holes and cut those great cutbacks. I loved it. Being an offensive lineman, I love to block my man and pancake my man and look up the field and the running back is 30 yards down the field."

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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