Bear Digest

Who's Out There for Bears If Offensive Line Injury Issues Persist?

Analysis: There is still one big name fighting back from injury who is available to the Bears if they want to take a gamble that he could play center or guard.

Gene Chamberlain

Nate Davis (64) returned from injury for a few drills Sunday as the Bears offensive line is in need of healthy bodies.
Nate Davis (64) returned from injury for a few drills Sunday as the Bears offensive line is in need of healthy bodies. / Gene Chamberlain Photo | Chicago Bears On SI
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Bears coach Matt Eberflus was asked after Saturday's practice about his young pass rushers' development and he voiced the thought practices can be better for them than preseason games because of the competition they'll face.

He also said he's planning to mix some backups in to face starters in coming practices.

"To me that’s a great evaluation of those guys, going against the 1 offensive line instead of being with the 2s and 3s," he said.

So much for that.

 They're back to facing the second team and third team line because of injuries to the starters.

The Bears' No. 1 need has appeared to be pass rusher for quite a while now and it seemed an obvious problem in Thursday's game even with subs playing.

However, now it could be guards on offense.

It seemed almost unthinkable a few months ago after seeing their depth on the line, but they might actually be nearing a point where signing a free agent interior offensive lineman is necessary.

With Nate Davis starting to come back at right guard from injury after more than a week off, and with Teven Jenkins' status unknown after an early departure from Sunday's practice, they were using a mix of Bill Murray, Ryan Bates, Ja'Tyre Carter and Jerome Carvin at guard positions.

So Tuesday's practice after a day off promises to be very revealing. It might even say something about whether they need to sign a blocker.

It might be 34 days before the regular season starts, but teams do not simply deem a player healthy and throw him into the starting lineup without practicing for several weeks. And teams start practicing for their first game two weeks beforehand, during the bye week that all teams have after the last preseason game. Some believe in beginning this process even a week prior to that.

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Time is a much more pressing issue than cornerback Jaylon Johnson made it seem Sunday when he said: "I feel like our biggest thing is being healthy Week 1. We don’t win right now."

Johnson was talking defense.

Offensive line is a little different because of the need to build a cohesive group through working together.

In 18 games over the last two seasons, the Bears switched their starting offensive lineup from the previous day due largely to injuries. They've given up 50 sacks or more in three straight seasons.

So having a group in place of quality blockers who have played together is essential. Why wouldn't they start considering options available now if there is even a question about a player injured and not being ready within two or three weeks?

Here's what's available to them if they do.

1. C Connor Williams

Still No. 1 and last year's No. 2 graded center in the NFL by Pro Football Focus. He's available because of a torn ACL suffered in December. The former Dolphins and Cowboys lineman projects at $8.3 million per year now, according to Sportrac.com. Without the injury there's little doubt he'd be much higher. He's 27 years old and well-versed in the wide zone blocking scheme like the Bears will often use. The Seahawks were rumored to be interested but nothing has come of this. ACL injuries are said to take much less than nine months to recover from but to really be at top-end strength, speed and stamina might require even more time. The Bears could have signed Williams at any time if they were interested and the fact they haven't says they weren't, but might that be different now with all the injuries? The other positive is Williams was a guard at one time, so if they deemed either Ryan Bates or Coleman Shelton the center winner and there are still questions about guard healthy, Williams is versatile enough to move to that position.

2. G Phil Haynes

The starter for eight games last year with Seattle in the offense of current Bears offensive coordinator Shane Waldron. The fact they haven't signed him already might indicate whether Waldron would want him. Haynes was not a full-time starter before last season, though. He is 28 years old and would come at a much lower price than Williams. He made $4 million last year.

3. G Halapoulivaati Vaitai

The former Eagles and Lions guard has been a physical wreck since the 2020 season. The Lions let the seven-year veteran go after he missed 37 games in that stretch of time. When healthy he remains an effective blocker, like when he was as the first player off the bench much of the time for the Eagles. He has started as a guard or tackle. Vaitai's mobility for a wide zone scheme might be in question, though.

4. G Mark Glowinski

He got benched last season by the Giants, in the second year of a $20 million deal. Everyone has a bad year now and then. He is 32 years old now, though.

5. C Brian Allen

This might be a no-brainer for the Bears and, in fact, they might have signed him already if he had been healthy. However, he had a contract with the Browns and was just released. The problem is, he has a calf injury and was on IR. The reason he'd have been a Bears player of interest is his past as a Rams center in Sean McVay's offense and while Waldron was an assistant with the team. He was the Rams starter before Shelton did it.

6. C Mason Cole

Another player the Bears could have signed already if they felt he could fit their offense. He had been dependable in the past but Pro Football Focus graded him 29th overall among centers and 33rd as a pass blocker of 36 centers graded. He graded out worse as a pass blocker than Bears center Lucas Patrick last year following two straight solid seasons.

7. G Trai Turner

A very effective blocker early in his career for Carolina, but in the past five years his quality of play declined. Last year with the Saints, the 31-year-old blocker missed the entire season with a preseason quad injury. So he's available but what would the buyer be getting as he joins his sixth team since 2019?

8. G Matt Feiler

A starter for five straight seasons with the Steelers and Chargers, he started for Tampa Bay last year and missed four games due to injury, returned and lost his starting job. He played tackle early in his career but has been at guard since 2020 but has the size to play both at 6-6, 330.

9 T David Bakhtiari

This would be thinking outside the box. The former Packers All-Pro always has been a left tackle. With his knee history, this might be thinking too far outside the box to think he can fit into a wide zone blocking scheme again.

Twitter: BearsOnSI

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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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