Harry Hiestand’s Return Should Help Young Bears Lineman Conquer Learning Curves and Other Bullets

May 26, 2018

When you put it this way, you can see why fantasy players avoided Bears like it was nobody’s business:

From a fantasy perspective, the Bears didn't have much to offer last year, while the Lions and Vikings did a lot more. pic.twitter.com/qfcwn4BD8A
— PFF Fantasy Football (@PFF_Fantasy) May 24, 2018

The Bears’ offensive success will start at the line of scrimmage with an improved offensive line, and Harry Hiestand’s return is at the crux of change. Hiestand’s second stint in Chicago comes after a successful stint in college, highlighted by his last stop at Notre Dame where the Fighting Irish churned out starting caliber lineman left and right. So why leave a great situation? Hiestand has an explanation:

Harry Hiestand, on why the #Bears were the right spot for him to jump back to the NFL after a successful run at Notre Dame: pic.twitter.com/YFZXaoyKVT
— JJ Stankevitz (@JJStankevitz) May 24, 2018

Over at NBC Sports Chicago, JJ Stankevitz offers up additional details on why the timing was right for Hiestand’s return to the NFL. Hiestand could have stayed at Notre Dame and coaching up college football’s elite offensive lineman for as long as he wanted, but that the Bears job intrigued him enough to entice him back into the NFL could say a lot about where he thinks the Bears are going right now.

One of Hiestand’s most important projects is straightening out the interior of the offensive line. Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times writes Cody Whitehair is happy to be sticking around at center, which should allow him to continue to build a rapport with quarterback Mitch Trubisky. Continuity wasn’t a thing the Bears could bank on in 2017, not with as many injuries as they had on the offensive line. The hope is that some better luck in the health department and an infusion of youth will help matters. Logically, it checks out. But we’re a long way from determining whether the Bears’ offseason plan for the group tasked with protecting Trubisky and clearing running room for Jordan Howard and Tarik Cohen was a good one.

The idea of Whitehair moving back to guard won’t leave me, even though it seems like he is entrenched at center right now. Frankly, how long Whitehair stays in the middle is still to be determined. The Bears drafted James Daniels with the intent of moving him to left guard, a position he played sparingly while at Iowa. And as fate would have it, Whitehair was drafted as a guard who ultimately moved to center because of the Bears’ free agent signing of Josh Sitton.

Chicago isn’t the only team in the division trying to re-work its offensive line. The Lions is working out first-round pick Frank Ragnow at left guard during OTAs. Much like the Bears did with Daniels, Detroit drafted a top center prospect who had the potential to move to guard. For what it’s worth, Ragnow is saying all the right things and that he would be happy with wherever the Lions play him in 2018.

Learning curves are just a part of life in OTAs. So I’m not surprised to see Patrick Mahomes have a rough practice in Kansas City. Mahomes isn’t concerned about mistakes he makes at this point in the offseason, telling ESPN: “If you want to make mistakes, you make them now. You don’t want to make those mistakes in the game.” Mahomes makes a good point. Miscues in May are teaching points for the future, and it’s not like mistakes he makes now will cost him his job. Besides, there is nothing wrong with a little trial by fire.

Perspective is good. Remember, we just discussed how the Bears’ defense is ahead of the offense right now. That is to be expected, not just in Chicago, but pretty much everywhere throughout the NFL.

Though, maybe Jimmy Garoppolo is the exception to the rule. A current 49ers teammate who spent time with Jimmy G. Football in New England told SFGate.com’s Eric Branch that the young signal caller was shredding the Patriots defense in practices last year. Marsh split time with the Patriots and 49ers last season, joining San Francisco after being claimed off waivers in November. The linebacker/defensive end hybrid spent the first three years of his career with Seattle.

Good luck with that:

Throwing out the first pitch at the @Cubs game today. Mindset is, and I’m fine with either out come, make #SCTop10 or #SCNotTop10 #2SeamFastball
— Trey Burton (@TreyBurton8) May 26, 2018

Happy Birthday to a pair of Bears:

https://twitter.com/ChicagoBears/status/1000376062633742337

Earlier in the week, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Cowboys receiver Terrance Williams was arrested for public intoxication after they found his Lamborghini abandoned after striking a light pole. TMZ has video of the arrest, in which he blames friend Kendall Wright (who was the Bears’ leading receiver last season) and said he was the driver. Wright and Williams were teammates at Baylor University from 2008-11.

written by

Luis C. Medina

Luis C. Medina, who you can find on Twitter at lcm1986, has been covering the Chicago Bears at Bleacher Nation since 2017. Since then, he has written about 3 head coaches, 5 play-callers, and 11 starting quarterbacks. Previously, Luis wrote about the Cubs and MLB at BN (2015-16) and worked in the Chicago Tribune sports department (2011-16). He also co-hosted a Cubs postgame show, Outside the Ivy, in 2019.

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