WATCH: O-Line Prospect Dawand Jones is Making a Heckuva Impression at the Senior Bowl
That the Chicago Bears have needs — plural! — on the offensive line is one of the NFL’s worst-kept secrets.
Given this point, I imagine they’re scouring the corners of the football universe searching for upgrades in the trenches. Again, the word “upgrade” appears in plural form for a reason. One area that figures to be a hotbed of talent is the Senior Bowl. The college prospect showcase is often a jumping-off point for prospects who put in a strong week of practice. Or have a quality showing in the game. Bonus points for those who do both.
And that appears to be happening with offensive lineman Dawand Jones, who is making big waves in the early going during Senior Bowl Week:
Now, that is the type of content I like seeing during Senior Bowl practices. There is nothing like watching offensive and defensive linemen dig in and go one-on-one. And few things get my football motor running like seeing an offensive lineman blow their defensive counterparts off the line of scrimmage. Watching the videos above makes me want to fast-forward to training camp to watch those guys battle under a hot summer sun at Halas Hall.
The Bears are well-represented down at the Senior Bowl. Offensive Coordinator Luke Getsy is serving as a head coach at the game. Additionally, assistants Tim Zetts (Assistant TEs Coach), Carlos Polk (Assistant Special Teams Coach), and Dave Borgonzi (LBs Coach) are joining in coaching alongside Getsy. It’s always good to have friends by your side. Just think about the intel these Bears coaches are getting that other teams who don’t have coaches working with players on the field aren’t privy to. And, of course, GM Ryan Poles is in attendance. Not that you’d expect anything else.
It would be splendid if Poles, who drafted two Senior Bowl O-linemen last year, took good notes while watching this class of Senior Bowl linemen. Certainly, Poles, an offensive lineman in his college days, has eyes for someone at the position. Moreover, it might be swell if he kept a close eye on Jones (and his draft stock) right now. Particularly after what he just put on the video above.
That the Bears would go hog wild in free agency in upgrading the line is a popular idea. And with good reason, too. Nevertheless, the alternative of drafting quality O-line prospects is also alluring. For instance, Poles could use his team’s available cap space differently if he was planning on drafting a potential starter at right tackle (where you see Jones playing in the vids above). With this being said, you shouldn’t wait on addressing offensive line concerns because you assume you’ll do so in the NFL Draft. Although, the temptation is real. But that type of thinking is counterproductive. But you can see where it would be valuable to grow an offensive line through the draft. And if it starts with Jones, I think I’d be thrilled.
