When the Bears signed Dakota Dozier, it was with the idea of bringing in a player with starting experience into a wide open competition at right guard.
Unfortunately, that competition won’t include Dozier. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reports surgery for an injury that caused Dozier to miss time at minicamp will cost him the entire season:
The severity of Dozier’s injury wasn’t known at the time it happened. But now that we’ve got clarity and know it will keep him from playing this year, it really drives home how much of a bummer it is to lose a piece of depth.
This isn’t to say I had high expectations for Dozier. But after not making a splash signing or addressing needs at the position earlier in the draft, the Bears were really needing someone from their depth to emerge. And I suppose someone still can. It’s just that losing Dozier means there is one fewer dart to throw in the team’s attempt to hit bullseye on a starting right guard.