How About a Stud Offensive Lineman in the First Round of the Draft? And Other Bears Bullets

One thing I love about baseball is that one game isn’t the be-all, end-all. And Opening Day isn’t always some indicator of how things will go in the year ahead. HOWEVER, when you feel like you’ve been watching the same game since Oct. 1, 2018, and the Opening Day falls flat exactly as you expected, it becomes a drag. Even still … I’m allowing some time to let these things sort themselves out. My long-standing rule is that I’ll have a real feel for a baseball team on my birthday. So, I’ll stand by that, and we’ll see how I feel on July 1.

•   Quarterback is at the top of my Bears Draft Weekend shopping list. I’d like some new weapons on the outside, too. And I realize the need and importance of getting a starting-caliber cornerback. But I’m coming around to the idea of wanting to lock in a stud offensive lineman in Round 1. For instance, Oklahoma State’s Teven Jenkins relative athletic scores are bonkers:

•   If Relative Athletic Scores aren’t your thing, then maybe these quotes via Windy City Gridiron’s Jacob Infante are:

⇒   “[I’m a] tough, physical, nasty motherfucker,” Jenkins said when asked about the type of player NFL teams will get in him. “A dude who does not shy away from hits; a dude’s who is going to bust his ass.”

⇒   “I had a talk with my o-line coach and strength coach [who told me] if I was going to be the guy this year, I was going to need to be a motherfucker on the field — be a dickhead, be more aggressive than I was. And I took that personally.”

•   One thing I believe we can all agree on regarding the Bears’ offensive needs is that there should be a desire to add someone with an edge who can lead in the trenches. Don’t get me wrong. I like what Cody Whitehair and James Daniels bring to the table. Meanwhile, Alex Bars and Sam Mustipher bring usable depth to the line, and I dig that, too. Even the much-maligned Charles Leno Jr. has proven he can hold it down at left tackle better than a good chunk of the league. But it sure would be nice to have a m-f’er setting the tone with attitude up front. At the peak of his powers, it was something Kyle Long did better than anyone else. Olin Kreutz had those vibes, too. Unfortunately, there aren’t a lot of Longs or Kreutzes out there. So it would be neat if the Bears could identify one, bring him on board, and unleash him on the rest of the league.

•   Elsewhere along the line, Alijah Vera-Tucker intrigues me:

https://twitter.com/PFF_College/status/1377757740169330694

•   Vera-Tucker is a first-round fringe guy by PFF’s standards, with an overall prospect ranking of 34. But over at NFL Network, Daniel Jeremiah has the USC lineman at 15th overall. There’s plenty of fluidity in the offensive line grades in this class. Simply put, it’s because there is a whole bunch of talent throughout the position group. This isn’t the norm, so it would be good for the Bears to take advantage of it early in the draft.

•   Let’s break it down like this: There are 11 offensive linemen checking in among PFF’s top-50 prospects. Then, 10 more pop up in between the 53-95 range. Now we’re talking about 21 offensive linemen being within the top 100. And once we get outside of the top-100, there are players such as Deonte Brown (G, Alabama), Spencer Brown (OT, Northern Iowa), Larry Borom (OT, Missouri), Drake Jackson (C, Kentucky), and Alaric Jackson (T, Iowa) who slide into the 101-200 range who are sleepers that could make strong cases for being ranked higher. Perhaps the Bears should try hard to double-dip on offensive linemen in this draft. Just a thought…

•   All things considered, I’m surprised Todd McShay’s latest mock draft didn’t have the Bears using either of their first two picks on linemen. More mock draft fun here.

•   The exercise in which Kevin Fishbain, Adam Jahns, and Dane Brugler address the Bears’ problem areas at premium positions via the draft is a unique one. Few teams have focused less of their draft capital as the Bears, who simply haven’t dedicated their resources to unearth solutions at need position. In this post at The Athletic, the trio of football minds dive into quarterbacks, offensive tackles, receivers, cornerbacks, and pass-rushers who should be on Chicago’s radars.

•   It’s a story like this that makes me thankful the Bears weren’t more active in free agency this offseason:

•   This is an alarming trend:

•   There are some odd factors that play into this. Players like Sims, Gabriel, and Freeman had injuries that halted their time with the Bears, and ultimately, their time in the league. Wright, Unrein, Amukamara, and Wright signed free agent contracts elsewhere, but never amounted to much. And then players like Porter, Demps, and Rolle were just at the end of their respective ropes. But still … I see five players at premium positions and I can’t help but think about the Bears being the end of the line for these important spots stunting what could otherwise be development had they invested in younger players.

•   An old friend finds a new home with some old friends:

 

•   Adam Schefter did Mina Kimes dirty on April Fool’s Day:

•   A heads up: GM Ryan Pace and Head Coach Matt Nagy are scheduled to speak with the media at 10:30 a.m. CT. I’ll be curious to see what’s brought up and addressed here.

•   This Dodgers moment sprung a whole bunch of memes:

written by

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.

more bears news

Dan Campbell is Happy To See Justin Fields Leave the NFC North

There was no escaping the mixed emotions from Chicago Bears fans when the Justin Fields trade went down earlier this month. But there were none of that from Detroit Lions Head Coach Dan Campbell. Heck, I'd argue there was just...

Another Pass Rusher Signs Elsewhere: Jadeveon Clowney Lands With the Panthers

Another day. Another pass rusher signing. And another defensive lineman going to a team that isn't the Chicago Bears. NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport was the first with the news of Jadeveon Clowney signing with the Carolina Panthers. Meanwhile, ESPN's...

Malik Nabers Might’ve Run His Way Out of the Chicago Bears Draft Spot

Today was LSU's Pro Day and Chicago Bears GM Ryan Poles was scheduled to be in attendance, per The Athletic's Adam Jahns. Assuming Poles made his flight, he got a good look at the likes of quarterback Jayden Daniels, as...

Goodell on Bears Stadium Deal, No to Hard Knocks? More Old Friends Go to Steelers, and Other Bears Bullets

I keep forgetting that I have a Starbucks gift card from Christmas that has gone unused to this point. Maybe I'll remember it next time I go out for coffee. A big shout out to PFF Brad, who made the...

Ryan Poles Was Pissed Off By RGIII’s Comments About Caleb Williams Situation

When I saw them pop up, RGIII's comments suggesting Caleb Williams pull an Eli Manning and refuse to play for the Chicago Bears were met with an eye-roll, audible groan, and immediate dismissal before moving onto more pertinent topics. But...

Bears Stadium Update: Kevin Warren Reiterates Plans to Build in Downtown Chicago

It sure is starting to sound like Arlington Heights fumbled the bag when it comes to locking in Arlington Park as the future home of a Chicago Bears stadium. While meeting with the media at the NFL owners meetings in...

The NFL is Playing a Christmas Day Doubleheader in 2024

Christmastime is generally full of cheer. And in 2024, it will be full of cheering. In fact, we're talking double the cheer. ESPN NFL insider Adam Schefter reports the league will play not one, but *TWO* Christmas Day games. It's...

2024 NFL Mock Draft: How High Can J.J. McCarthy’s Stock Rise?

Hard to believe we're less than a month away from the 1st Round of the 2024 NFL Draft! With just weeks remaining until the NFL's most noteworthy offseason event, there are plenty of rumors floating. As we work through all...

NFL Rules Shakeup, Tomlin on Fields, Trubisky’s Linsanity Run, and Other Bears Bullets

The Bachelor's season-finale had a couple of jaw-dropping moments. Once the group chat catches up, it is going to be lit. What better way to start Bears Bullets than with breakfast anecdotes? I think I'm going to enjoy D'Andre Swift's...

Around the NFL: New Kickoff Rules Explained, NFL Trade Deadline Extended, More

NFL owners ratified a sweeping overhaul of the kickoff play on Tuesday, embracing a format inspired by the XFL following three days of deliberations at the league’s yearly gathering. Essentially, the new format relocates the bulk of both kicking and return teams...

Latest News

Pac-12 Basketball Predictions, Computer Picks and Best Bets | March 28

There is one game featuring a Pac-12 teams on the Thursday postseason college basketball schedule, the Clemson Tigers versus the Arizona Wildcats. Make sure you check out below for today's best bets!How to Bet on Pac-12 Games[lasso rel="draftkings-promo-1" id="299003"]Best Pac-12...

Rays vs. Blue Jays Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Tampa Bay Rays look to start their season with a win as home favorites (-135) in a season-opening matchup with the Toronto Blue Jays. First pitch is on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET on MLB Network, live from Tropicana...

Astros vs. Yankees Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Houston Astros look to start their season with a win as home favorites (-156) in a season-opening matchup with the New York Yankees. First pitch is on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET on YES, live from Minute Maid Park.Houston's...

Tigers vs. White Sox Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Detroit Tigers begin their season as -181 favorites in a road tilt against the Chicago White Sox on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET, live on BSDET.Tarik Skubal starts for Detroit while Garrett Crochet is Chicago's starter for the contest.Tigers...

Reds vs. Nationals Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Cincinnati Reds begin their season as -154 favorites in a home tilt against the Washington Nationals on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET, live on MASN2.Cincinnati's Frankie Montas gets the start, and he'll go against Washington's Josiah Gray.Reds vs. Nationals...

Dodgers vs. Cardinals Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Los Angeles Dodgers (1-1) will look to Will Smith, red hot after a four-hit game, to lead them in a matchup with the St. Louis Cardinals (0-0) on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET on BSMW. The Dodgers are -232...

Marlins vs. Pirates Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Miami Marlins look to start their season with a win as home favorites (-133) in a season-opening matchup with the Pittsburgh Pirates. First pitch is on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET on Sportsnet PT, live from LoanDepot park.Miami's Jesus...

Padres vs. Giants Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The San Francisco Giants (0-0) are the underdogs on the moneyline (-106) in Thursday's contest against the San Diego Padres (1-1). Game time is set for 4:10 PM ET on NBCS-BA. The Giants are favored against the spread in this...

Twins vs. Royals Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Minnesota Twins look to start their season with a win as road favorites (-122) in a season-opening matchup with the Kansas City Royals. First pitch is on Thursday at 4:10 PM ET on BSN, live from Kauffman Stadium.Pablo Lopez...

Orioles vs. Angels Prediction: Expert Picks, Odds, Stats & Best Bets – Thursday, March 28, 2024

The Baltimore Orioles are moneyline favorites (-192) to begin their season with a home win over the Los Angeles Angels on Thursday at 3:05 PM ET, live on BSW.Baltimore's Corbin Burnes and Los Angeles' Patrick Sandoval have been named the...

more bears news