NEWSLETTER
The NFL isn’t scheduled to play regular season games for another four months, and I am already annoyed with how the Chicago Bears are treating their offensive line.
Rumor-related grumblings go here:
The Bears reportedly were considering free-agent a pursuit OL Larry Warford; per source they won't be pursuing him https://t.co/HAxNNPn6mH
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) May 9, 2020
Eff.
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio reports the Bears are *NOT* pursuing Warford, a three-time Pro Bowl guard who entered the free-agent market on Friday afternoon after the Saints cut him. Florio writes: “It’s unclear whether the Bears were ever officially in on the chase for Warford. They were reportedly considering it. Regardless, they currently are not.”
Florio’s report comes after one from Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, who heard from a source that Chicago was indeed interested in pursuing Warford. Biggs’ report came at a time on Friday night when the Bears were being soundly drilled online in the wake of Deshaun Watson doing some tweeting about the Bears. And while I don’t want to go down the conspiracy theory rabbit hole and suggest that a team would float interest in a player to take some heat off in an awkward moment, it is fair to point out that Bears-related conversation — if only for a brief moment — shifted from hand-wringing related to the 2017 NFL Draft to the possible pursuit of a free agent fit at a position of need. But that just leaves me wanting to do some hand-wringing when discussing the current state of Chicago’s offensive line.
The one area Chicago didn’t take a sizable swing at this offseason was along the offensive line, so the one thing I was really wishing they would do was jump the market when a Pro Bowl guard just shows up. Creating a quarterback competition is fine. Re-shaping the tight ends room was necessary. Adding speed to the wide receivers room helps matters. But the offense can’t function if the offensive line – collectively – plays as poorly as it did last year. Hence, we discussed Warford as an ideal fit as someone who the Bears should be pursuing.
Warford is a sensible fit for the 2020 Bears. Not only is he still in his prime as he is about to enter his age 29 season, Warford is coming off three consecutive Pro Bowl seasons protecting for an all-world quarterback and clearing space for a stud running back. As far as fits are concerned, they don’t get much better than this. And yet, the Bears are reportedly not in the market for such a player. If that’s the case, it is disappointing, to say the least.
