Biggs: Bears exploring moving Long to LG

[UOK]

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The Bears are considering another position change for Kyle Long, but it's not what you might expect.

No, Long isn't moving back to right tackle, and the three-time Pro Bowl selection is not going to play left tackle either. Instead, multiple sources tell the Tribune the Bears are in the process of shifting Long to left guard for the 2017 season to have him swap places with veteran Josh Sitton, who was named to the Pro Bowl as an alternate last year.

The complicating factor is that Long is still rehabilitating from the grisly right ankle injury he suffered Nov. 13 in a loss to the Buccaneers. So it's not like he's expected to be on the field when the Bears line up for the beginning of organized team activities Monday at Halas Hall. The hope is Long will be in action before the start of the season, but when he'll be ready to practice remains to be seen and general manager Ryan Pace and coach John Fox have been extra evasive in discussing timelines for any of the injured veterans.

The depth chart is fluid in May, but in the stretch run of the voluntary offseason workout program, sources maintain this switch appears to be in the works. One source said the move was a topic of discussion shortly after the end of last season. Whether they stick to this plan through the spring and into training camp remains to be seen. The Bears have the maximum 10 OTA dates scheduled through June 9 and will wrap up the offseason with mandatory minicamp June 13-15.

While it will be a considerable adjustment for Long learning to play out of a new stance on the left side, he did start at left guard during his brief career at Oregon. Conversely, Sitton, 30, has ample experience at right guard. That is where he started the first 64 games of his career with the Packers before trading places with T.J. Lang before the 2013 season and moving to left guard. Sitton has actually played more on the right side in his NFL career than the left side.

The Packers swapped Sitton and Lang because they felt Lang was more of a mauler and better suited for the right side. Typically, offenses are right-handed in the running game, and a more mobile and athletic left guard not only aids pass blocking on that side of the line but is an asset when it comes to pulling and getting to the second level in the running game.

he Bears, of course, have moved Long with much shorter notice. They infamously shifted him from right guard to right tackle just a week before the 2015 season opener and then returned him to right guard last year where he started eight games. If the plan remains unchanged, this will mark the third straight year he has switched positions.

The Bears need to figure out how to best deploy their starting line under new position coach Jeremiah Washburn with left tackle Charles Leno, center Cody Whitehair and right tackle Bobby Massie likely to return to their familiar spots. The Bears did pursue Ravens right tackle Ricky Wagner in free agency, but he would up signing a five-year, $47.5 million contract with the Lions.

The Bears added a new swing tackle in Tom Compton and re-signed guard Eric Kush, who started four games at left guard last season. Kush has the ability to play center and could serve as the interior swing lineman for the regular season. They also drafted Jordan Morgan from Kutztown in the fifth round and have center Hroniss Grasu, a third-round pick in 2015, returning from a torn ACL suffered last August.

The Bears used five starting combinations on the offensive line last season as injuries necessitated a juggling act. Leno and Whitehair started all 16 games and Massie started 15, but Sitton missed three games, and that was all after Grasu was lost for the season during a training camp practice at Soldier Field.

Whitehair is expected to remain the starting center and Grasu's role will be interesting to track as the Bears have said, at least previously, that he's a center only. The good thing is Sitton has shown the ability to play at a high level at both guard spots and Long has proved adaptable.

As far as the starting guards go, we'll see where the Bears deploy Long and Sitton when they're both on the field.

[Moriarty]

That's odd.

But I guess Long can be a LG on PUP as well as a RG on PUP.

[Rusty Trombagent]

i wonder if this is a long term thing where they view jordan morgan as primarily a RG?

[Gaytoe]

Think it has anything to do with his shoulder? I can't remember off the top of my head which one he injured but it could be to help him through the season by reducing the load for that shoulder..

[VA_Mountain_Bear]

I'm not sure I see what the real logic is here. There article explains Sutton has experience at RG, but not really much a rationale for why this move is either needed or improves things. Anyone feel they can illuminate this for me please?

[UOK]

I'm not sure I see what the real logic is here. There article explains Sutton has experience at RG, but not really much a rationale for why this move is either needed or improves things. Anyone feel they can illuminate this for me please?

Reasonable theories, some of which you could mix and match:

1. His shoulder is more prevalent than his ankle in restricting his availability for the 2017 season, so the staff is going to see if they can shimmy things around to accommodate him and field the most productive lineup.

2. They feel Grasu is 100% and plan to move Long to PUP/IR (with designation), shift Whitehair to LG (where has the most experience at the college level), Sitton to RG to cover for Long, and field the best lineup that allots for Long to potentially miss the season.

3. It's typical John Fox gamesmanship where he just throws shit out there to misinform the opposing team.

[wab]

Weird. I'd guess that, if true, it's more about trying to hide him somewhere his injuries won't be a problem.

[Atkins&Rebel]

Think it has anything to do with his shoulder? I can't remember off the top of my head which one he injured but it could be to help him through the season by reducing the load for that shoulder..

this is the first thing I thought of. Usually at RG you have the UT lining up in the gap between the G and T. That make it difficult for someone with a bad wing to power into and control.

At LG, the nose is in the gap some times, but the center has the nose before with the LG doubling and pealing off to the second level. So the load on that right shoulder isn't as severe.

[G08]

I can't wait for the day when we just leave this poor SOB alone. Put him at one spot and let him learn his fuckin craft.

[wab]

I can't wait for the day when we just leave this poor SOB alone. Put him at one spot and let him learn his fuckin craft.

I agree. If they are doing it because of his health then you have to protect the guy from himself and just shelve him until he's healthy.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

I'm not sure I see what the real logic is here. There article explains Sutton has experience at RG, but not really much a rationale for why this move is either needed or improves things. Anyone feel they can illuminate this for me please?

Reasonable theories, some of which you could mix and match:

1. His shoulder is more prevalent than his ankle in restricting his availability for the 2017 season, so the staff is going to see if they can shimmy things around to accommodate him and field the most productive lineup.

2. They feel Grasu is 100% and plan to move Long to PUP/IR (with designation), shift Whitehair to LG (where has the most experience at the college level), Sitton to RG to cover for Long, and field the best lineup that allots for Long to potentially miss the season.

3. It's typical John Fox gamesmanship where he just throws shit out there to misinform the opposing team.

Another thing worth considering is that Kush played exclusively at LG last season and they played Larsen at RG. I thought Kush played pretty well filling in for Sitton, better than Larsen did replacing Long. I was a bit surprised they didn't once give Kush the nod over Larsen when Sitton was healthy. There seems to be some doubt as to when Long might be available. If he misses most or all of the off-season and there's a risk he won't be ready for the start of the season then perhaps they feel their strongest interior line up will be Kush, Whitehair, Sitton.

I must admit, I'm struggling to see why it would benefit the team to have Sitton move from left to right when he's played the last few seasons at LG and why it would benefit the team to move Long from right to left when he's played his entire NFL career on the right.

[crueltyabc]

In some schemes the LG is more often responsible for pulling, so maybe they want to use Long's agility to run around a bit more? Or maybe they think there's some advantage to Leno-Long or Sitton-Massie over the other way? So many potential reasons... I guess it doesn't matter because the entire offense was reworked. There's no stability to disrupt.

[Boris13c]

I can't wait for the day when we just leave this poor SOB alone. Put him at one spot and let him learn his fuckin craft.

agreed

seems obvious he has enough ability to be versatile, which is a good thing to be able to move him in a pinch ... but regularly moving him for shits and giggles seems very stupid and counterproductive

[wab]

2018 be like

"Biggs: Bears exploring moving Long to DE"

[Rusty Trombagent]

He's basically the white Devin Hester

[Boris13c]

He's basically the white Devin Hester

except Long can actually play those other positions ... Hester was always just a 1 trick pony

[RING4CHI]

2018 be like

"Biggs: Bears exploring moving Long to DE"

Biggs: Bears sign Chris Long to play LG.

[WagonForce]

I know Kyle is going to turn 29 this season and isn't exactly at the start of his career, but is anyone else thinking that maybe shutting him down for this year and trying to get him healthy makes sense?

Between his ankle and his shoulder the guy took some serious wear and tear last year. If we're already looking at juggling his position, possibly to help him out with one of those health issues, is he really 'ready to go' this year?

I want the Bears to leave him in one position and let him play there for the remainder of his career.

[Nanky]

I know Kyle is going to turn 29 this season and isn't exactly at the start of his career, but is anyone else thinking that maybe shutting him down for this year and trying to get him healthy makes sense?

Between his ankle and his shoulder the guy took some serious wear and tear last year. If we're already looking at juggling his position, possibly to help him out with one of those health issues, is he really 'ready to go' this year?

I want the Bears to leave him in one position and let him play there for the remainder of his career.

I'd see how things look in training camp and preseason, may put him on PUP or IR to return.

[Moriarty]

I know Kyle is going to turn 29 this season and isn't exactly at the start of his career, but is anyone else thinking that maybe shutting him down for this year and trying to get him healthy makes sense?

Between his ankle and his shoulder the guy took some serious wear and tear last year. If we're already looking at juggling his position, possibly to help him out with one of those health issues, is he really 'ready to go' this year?

I want the Bears to leave him in one position and let him play there for the remainder of his career.

Would have no complaints about it whatsoever.

Very, very rare for NFL teams to care about that far ahead, though.

[UOK]

Per the Trib's Biggs today:

Kyle Long and Josh Sitton have yet to line up at their new guard positions in live team drills, and you wonder when that will happen. Sitton is getting into the swing of things after time away for the birth of his daughter, and Long is working to stack consecutive days on which his surgically repaired right ankle feels good.

Because it requires a different stance, it's a bigger adjustment for Long to move to left guard than it was for him to kick outside to right tackle the week of the season opener two years ago. That's why some exhibition action would be valuable. We'll have to wait and see if he gets cleared for that.

[Atkins&Rebel]

Per the Trib's Biggs today:

Kyle Long and Josh Sitton have yet to line up at their new guard positions in live team drills, and you wonder when that will happen. Sitton is getting into the swing of things after time away for the birth of his daughter, and Long is working to stack consecutive days on which his surgically repaired right ankle feels good.

Because it requires a different stance, it's a bigger adjustment for Long to move to left guard than it was for him to kick outside to right tackle the week of the season opener two years ago. That's why some exhibition action would be valuable. We'll have to wait and see if he gets cleared for that.

I'm 40 and play in a live blocking, no pads league. I just played a game today where I lined up at 3 different O line spots. It's not difficult. Believe it if you want, but I'm nothing special and can get it done. These are pros and should be able to do it if they have a couple days. Learning to snap the ball and being able to keep up with a speed rusher are the only things that everyone can't do. Everything else is just stepping with the correct foot first and technique.

If they switch guard sides, it will be no big deal at all.

[MoFugger]

He's basically the white Devin Hester

except Long can actually play those other positions ... Hester was always just a 1 trick pony

I will go to my grave believing Hester could have been coached into a great nickleback. Part of the reason he was a lousy wide receiver was he faced the wrong way.
At the time, our head coach was one of the most prolific secondary coaches in the game. So I'm going to give Lovie Smith on nod and say that he knew more than I did.
So long as long is staying at a guard position,I don't care. He will be fine.

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[wab]

Per the Trib's Biggs today:

Kyle Long and Josh Sitton have yet to line up at their new guard positions in live team drills, and you wonder when that will happen. Sitton is getting into the swing of things after time away for the birth of his daughter, and Long is working to stack consecutive days on which his surgically repaired right ankle feels good.

Because it requires a different stance, it's a bigger adjustment for Long to move to left guard than it was for him to kick outside to right tackle the week of the season opener two years ago. That's why some exhibition action would be valuable. We'll have to wait and see if he gets cleared for that.

I'm 40 and play in a live blocking, no pads league. I just played a game today where I lined up at 3 different O line spots. It's not difficult. Believe it if you want, but I'm nothing special and can get it done. These are pros and should be able to do it if they have a couple days. Learning to snap the ball and being able to keep up with a speed rusher are the only things that everyone can't do. Everything else is just stepping with the correct foot first and technique.

If they switch guard sides, it will be no big deal at all.

This is not the same thing.

[MoFugger]

Per the Trib's Biggs today:

Kyle Long and Josh Sitton have yet to line up at their new guard positions in live team drills, and you wonder when that will happen. Sitton is getting into the swing of things after time away for the birth of his daughter, and Long is working to stack consecutive days on which his surgically repaired right ankle feels good.

Because it requires a different stance, it's a bigger adjustment for Long to move to left guard than it was for him to kick outside to right tackle the week of the season opener two years ago. That's why some exhibition action would be valuable. We'll have to wait and see if he gets cleared for that.

I'm 40 and play in a live blocking, no pads league. I just played a game today where I lined up at 3 different O line spots. It's not difficult. Believe it if you want, but I'm nothing special and can get it done. These are pros and should be able to do it if they have a couple days. Learning to snap the ball and being able to keep up with a speed rusher are the only things that everyone can't do. Everything else is just stepping with the correct foot first and technique.

If they switch guard sides, it will be no big deal at all.

This is not the same thing.

Long can Handel the switch, that part doesn't bother me, but...
This does told me that they are going to have Grasu playing Right Guard.

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[Atkins&Rebel]

Per the Trib's Biggs today:

Kyle Long and Josh Sitton have yet to line up at their new guard positions in live team drills, and you wonder when that will happen. Sitton is getting into the swing of things after time away for the birth of his daughter, and Long is working to stack consecutive days on which his surgically repaired right ankle feels good.

Because it requires a different stance, it's a bigger adjustment for Long to move to left guard than it was for him to kick outside to right tackle the week of the season opener two years ago. That's why some exhibition action would be valuable. We'll have to wait and see if he gets cleared for that.

I'm 40 and play in a live blocking, no pads league. I just played a game today where I lined up at 3 different O line spots. It's not difficult. Believe it if you want, but I'm nothing special and can get it done. These are pros and should be able to do it if they have a couple days. Learning to snap the ball and being able to keep up with a speed rusher are the only things that everyone can't do. Everything else is just stepping with the correct foot first and technique.

If they switch guard sides, it will be no big deal at all.

This is not the same thing.

I'm sure there is a point to this, but I fail to see it.

[wab]

The point is that playing in a rec league isn't even remotely the same as the NFL.

[malk]

Long can Handel the switch...
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Because he's the messiah?

[Atkins&Rebel]

The point is that playing in a rec league isn't even remotely the same as the NFL.

Glad to know that you know what you know...which ain't much.

I use the same steps, the same technique, the same hand punch and movements...because it's the same stuff we all learn from modified all the way up...the only thing that changes is terminology and assignment...

My analogy is that I can manage to go from one position to another and "switch up" the order that I use those techniques. And because I can at my "lowly level", a pro can and should be able to switch sides also and do fine (and hint, it happens quite a bit when injuries or matchups prove the need for it to)

[bearsfaninaz]

The point is that playing in a rec league isn't even remotely the same as the NFL.

Glad to know that you know what you know...which ain't much.

I use the same steps, the same technique, the same hand punch and movements...because it's the same stuff we all learn from modified all the way up...the only thing that changes is terminology and assignment...

My analogy is that I can manage to go from one position to another and "switch up" the order that I use those techniques. And because I can at my "lowly level", a pro can and should be able to switch sides also and do fine (and hint, it happens quite a bit when injuries or matchups prove the need for it to)

I think his point is you're not going up against pro defensive lineman every snap which is more worrisome than getting the technique down which I'm sure Long can do. NFL is way more complex on assignments technique competition than any pick up league let alone the players are bigger faster stronger than any competition you'd face