Whitehair starting C for 2023 Bears?

[UOK]

Poles seemed to indicate today that Whitehair will be rostered as a center this year, which would mean he'd likely start and Lucas Patrick would be a super sub on the interior line or compete with whoever for the left guard spot (or RG if they want Nate Davis to be at LG, which doesn't make sense to me).

[duckherd50]

He struggles with the snap

[dplank]

Works for me. Jones / Jenkins / Whitehair / Davis / Draft Pick. Borom is a swing T and Patrick backs up at C and G. There's 3 great prospects that fit perfectly for the #9 pick that we can plug in at RT and expect really good play. I lean towards Paris but Broderick Jones or Skoronski would both make me very happy. Hell, depending on how camp goes we could even drop Skoronski at LG and slide Jenkins to RT. It's nice to have options.

If this is what they plan to do, I'd like for them to start focusing on Whitehair's shotgun snap form hard this offseason. He really struggled with it.

[The Cooler King]

Didn't listen to the interview directly, but some stuff I read people are making it sound like it's not so definitive of an idea and was more coach speak about finding right mix.

I guess it's in play, but whether it's "likely" v "possible"... You're probably trying to read tea leaves a bit.

[southdakbearfan]

Didn't listen to the interview directly, but some stuff I read people are making it sound like it's not so definitive of an idea and was more coach speak about finding right mix.

I guess it's in play, but whether it's "likely" v "possible"... You're probably trying to read tea leaves a bit.

He talked about whitehair logging over 4000 snaps at center in the past, so I think poles has considered it a lot to be down into the details that far.

[wab]

I don't know... he also said when he was hired that he sees Cody as a guard and that he hated how much the previous staff shuffled guys around. I get shuffling because of injury in 2022, there weren't a lot of options, but Whitehair didn't even get a sniff at center last year when he presumably could have solved a big problem by moving over.

Could just be covering so that it doesn't seem like Jenkins may be out of a spot.

Jones/Whitehair/Patrick/Davis/Jenkins with two rookies sprinkled in somewhere seems to make the most sense to me at the moment.

The Bears have been doing this "shuffle everyone around to get the best 5 on the field" thing for way too long. Get a guy, put him in a spot, and let the line find some cohesion.

[The Cooler King]

Yea the shuffling thing is the perfect example of coach speak. No one needlessly shuffles, but every coach and GM is gonna play around if they're unsure or unhappy about the mix. At least until preseason kicks off

[Arkansasbear]

I think the only "for sure thing" on the OL is Jones at LT. The only way see that changing is if the draft a guy who beats him out. It just feels like the team is set on him being there.

Think my guess guess here would be Davis, but they could keep Whitehair here, let Davis stay at RG where he has mostly played in the NFL (although Gabriel says he can play either spot FWTW).

At Center I think the play will have Whitehair be the presumptive starter going into camp, but we will spend at least a 3rd round pick to get the guy of the future. If they keep Whitehair at LG, I'd assume they start off with Patrick and still spend some decent draft capital on the center of the future (and they may hope the future gets here soon).

RG should be Jenkins, but if it's Davis I'd assume the plan is to move him to RT. Despite many here, myself included, thinking he would grow into a great RT, the staff didn't seem to see that in him, so I'd be shocked if that's the case.

RT is some guy not yet on the team. Pretty sure we will be spending our first pick on Paris Jones or Skoronski. I'm starting to really warm up to the idea of Jones at RT. I'd love to see some team in the 12-15 range feel they need to leapfrog Eagles to get the top CB and trade back and pick up another 3rd this year and next.

I guess what I'm saying is there appear to be too many moving parts for me to get a grip on what I think the OL will look like in 6 months.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

Personally, I’d cut him

[crueltyabc]

I'm in full cynic mode at this point: If he pretends that the players all fit and/or can shuffle around on his team he doesn't tip his hand in the draft or lose leverage in negotiations for contracts and trades.

[Moriarty]

I'm in full cynic mode at this point: If he pretends that the players all fit and/or can shuffle around on his team he doesn't tip his hand in the draft or lose leverage in negotiations for contracts and trades.

There's nothing wrong with that.

It makes perfect sense for him to be silent or peddle flexibility and options.

Selling "we think Jenkins can play inside or outside" or "we're expecting big things from Leatherwood after a full camp with us" might mean what he says or it might just mean he doesn't want to say "Holy Crap do we need a RT from the draft desperately!".

Best to keep people in the dark right now.

And they may not have all their decisions made, either.

Waiting to see how the draft shakes out and opportunistically react to it is a good thing - to the extent that you can aren't kidding yourself about other options if something doesn't present itself well in the draft.

[dave99]

Doug is still around. Maybe a year of training will help. Considered smart and athletic coming out.

[Atkins&Rebel]

Jones-Leatherwood-Whitehair-Rookie/Jenkins-Rookie/Jenkins???

[Middleguard]

Didn't listen to the interview directly, but some stuff I read people are making it sound like it's not so definitive of an idea and was more coach speak about finding right mix.

I guess it's in play, but whether it's "likely" v "possible"... You're probably trying to read tea leaves a bit.

He talked about whitehair logging over 4000 snaps at center in the past, so I think poles has considered it a lot to be down into the details that far.

When I heard it, it sounded like an admission that they might have made a mistake last year in never trying Whitehair at center during their shuffling.

[wab]

Jones-Leatherwood-Whitehair-Rookie/Jenkins-Rookie/Jenkins???

No Davis? Can’t imagine they’d give him all that money to not start at RG…

[RichH55]

I think its a partial truth by Poles here - but yeah no need to tip your hand either

[wab]

Whatever they do, I hope it’s either Davis or Whitehair on the left next to Jones. I don’t particularly like the idea of Jenkins on the left…Braxton needs consistency next to him.

I’d still consider looking at Skoronski in the teens as the center of the future. (Just not at OT please).

[BreadNCircuses]

I think the only "for sure thing" on the OL is Jones at LT. The only way see that changing is if the draft a guy who beats him out. It just feels like the team is set on him being there.

Think my guess guess here would be Davis, but they could keep Whitehair here, let Davis stay at RG where he has mostly played in the NFL (although Gabriel says he can play either spot FWTW).

At Center I think the play will have Whitehair be the presumptive starter going into camp, but we will spend at least a 3rd round pick to get the guy of the future. If they keep Whitehair at LG, I'd assume they start off with Patrick and still spend some decent draft capital on the center of the future (and they may hope the future gets here soon).

RG should be Jenkins, but if it's Davis I'd assume the plan is to move him to RT. Despite many here, myself included, thinking he would grow into a great RT, the staff didn't seem to see that in him, so I'd be shocked if that's the case.

RT is some guy not yet on the team. Pretty sure we will be spending our first pick on Paris Jones or Skoronski. I'm starting to really warm up to the idea of Jones at RT. I'd love to see some team in the 12-15 range feel they need to leapfrog Eagles to get the top CB and trade back and pick up another 3rd this year and next.

I guess what I'm saying is there appear to be too many moving parts for me to get a grip on what I think the OL will look like in 6 months.

I agree on Jones -- the value of a midlevel starter on a 5th round contract at a premier position is too good to pass up.

It sounds like the Bears talked to Davis about a possible move to LG prior to the signing, so that's my bet for who goes at LG.

RG is Jenkins unless his health issues push him to RT or off the field.

they're thinking Whitehair + Patrick competing for the starting C spot but both have such positional versatility inside either one could be your "super backup" -- I assume that means Doug Kramer, who we drafted last year, is probably in the mix as well at least in the "Mustipher/Dieter" backup spot

I think they're drafting 1 if not 2 OLinemen they like.

I'm not convinced Leatherwood has washed out yet, but think talking to nate about moving to LG reduces the chance my thinking that Leatherwood ends up at LG as a reclamation project. Dudes got tools, the question is if you can coach the weaknesses out of his game at this point that weren't so exposed in college.

[Mikefive]

Absolutely HATE the idea of moving Jenkins from the spot where he's been the best lineman on our team to the position where last year he got demoted because he was getting consistently beat by a guy who didn't even make the team. Even if Jenkins wants to play OT, to tell him that we're going to get him to the pro bowl at OG isn't all that awful. Moving Jenkins makes no sense to me. None.

That they're even considering Whitehair at C shows that they don't want to have to depend on Lucas Patrick. Sound thinking, I'd say. An interesting, if imperfect solution to the C problem, at least for this year. I'm sure nothing's cast in stone.

Where does any faith in Alex Leatherwood come from at this point?

[wab]

Absolutely HATE the idea of moving Jenkins from the spot where he's been the best lineman on our team to the position where last year he got demoted because he was getting consistently beat by a guy who didn't even make the team. Even if Jenkins wants to play OT, to tell him that we're going to get him to the pro bowl at OG isn't all that awful. Moving Jenkins makes no sense to me. None.

That they're even considering Whitehair at C shows that they don't want to have to depend on Lucas Patrick. Sound thinking, I'd say. An interesting, if imperfect solution to the C problem, at least for this year. I'm sure nothing's cast in stone.

Where does any faith in Alex Leatherwood come from at this point?

Where does the faith in Jenkins come from? Sure he was a beast here and there when healthy and not in the doghouse.

Doesn’t it say something about Jenkins that they signed a guy who’s been a RG since college?

[TheWorldBreaker]

I don't know... he also said when he was hired that he sees Cody as a guard and that he hated how much the previous staff shuffled guys around. I get shuffling because of injury in 2022, there weren't a lot of options, but Whitehair didn't even get a sniff at center last year when he presumably could have solved a big problem by moving over.

Could just be covering so that it doesn't seem like Jenkins may be out of a spot.

Jones/Whitehair/Patrick/Davis/Jenkins with two rookies sprinkled in somewhere seems to make the most sense to me at the moment.

The Bears have been doing this "shuffle everyone around to get the best 5 on the field" thing for way too long. Get a guy, put him in a spot, and let the line find some cohesion.

Whitehair also got injured and wasn’t very good at guard last year. Older players have gone to guard later, I believe Garza moved there after Kreutz left, for example.

The Bears were also the worst pass blocking line in true pass sets. So I’m not sure anyone should have their spots given how they performed.

I hope they open it all up. Hell, even give Deiter Eiselen a real chance to compete.

Also, there are a lot of good center prospects in the draft, so it wouldn’t be surprising if a rookie came in and took the spot. *coughJohnMichaelSchmitz*cough*

[wab]

I don't know... he also said when he was hired that he sees Cody as a guard and that he hated how much the previous staff shuffled guys around. I get shuffling because of injury in 2022, there weren't a lot of options, but Whitehair didn't even get a sniff at center last year when he presumably could have solved a big problem by moving over.

Could just be covering so that it doesn't seem like Jenkins may be out of a spot.

Jones/Whitehair/Patrick/Davis/Jenkins with two rookies sprinkled in somewhere seems to make the most sense to me at the moment.

The Bears have been doing this "shuffle everyone around to get the best 5 on the field" thing for way too long. Get a guy, put him in a spot, and let the line find some cohesion.

Whitehair also got injured and wasn’t very good at guard last year. Older players have gone to guard later, I believe Garza moved there after Kreutz left, for example.

The Bears were also the worst pass blocking line in true pass sets. So I’m not sure anyone should have their spots given how they performed.

I hope they open it all up. Hell, even give Deiter Eiselen a real chance to compete.

Also, there are a lot of good center prospects in the draft, so it wouldn’t be surprising if a rookie came in and took the spot. *coughJohnMichaelSchmitz*cough*

Whitehair was like the 3rd highest rated guard in football before he got hurt.

[TheWorldBreaker]

Absolutely HATE the idea of moving Jenkins from the spot where he's been the best lineman on our team to the position where last year he got demoted because he was getting consistently beat by a guy who didn't even make the team. Even if Jenkins wants to play OT, to tell him that we're going to get him to the pro bowl at OG isn't all that awful. Moving Jenkins makes no sense to me. None.

That they're even considering Whitehair at C shows that they don't want to have to depend on Lucas Patrick. Sound thinking, I'd say. An interesting, if imperfect solution to the C problem, at least for this year. I'm sure nothing's cast in stone.

Where does any faith in Alex Leatherwood come from at this point?

Where does the faith in Jenkins come from? Sure he was a beast here and there when healthy and not in the doghouse.

Doesn’t it say something about Jenkins that they signed a guy who’s been a RG since college?

The way Poles approaches free agency seems to be the way he approaches the draft. In that he goes after the best player available at the prices he sets.

Linebackers weren’t the most pressing need but they got two of the best on the market for reasonable prices.

Davis has some really good tape, including stonewalling Dre’Mont Jones in multiple pass blocks.

So I think he was just high on their board of free agents and was willing to sign in their price range more than this was an indictment on Jenkins.

[TheWorldBreaker]

Whitehair also got injured and wasn’t very good at guard last year. Older players have gone to guard later, I believe Garza moved there after Kreutz left, for example.

The Bears were also the worst pass blocking line in true pass sets. So I’m not sure anyone should have their spots given how they performed.

I hope they open it all up. Hell, even give Deiter Eiselen a real chance to compete.

Also, there are a lot of good center prospects in the draft, so it wouldn’t be surprising if a rookie came in and took the spot. *coughJohnMichaelSchmitz*cough*

Whitehair was like the 3rd highest rated guard in football before he got hurt.

The Bears offensive line was also somehow ranked in the top 10 despite being by far the worst pass blocking line in true pass sets.

I don’t care about a ranking when you watched the games last year, he wasn’t very good.

[RichH55]

Whitehair was like the 3rd highest rated guard in football before he got hurt.

The Bears offensive line was also somehow ranked in the top 10 despite being by far the worst pass blocking line in true pass sets.

I don’t care about a ranking when you watched the games last year, he wasn’t very good.

You ummmm know we weren't too often in true pass sets because it didn't fit our strengths right?

There are overall numbers - even from the source that you quote for true pass sets - that will give you the overall for the OL.

[TheWorldBreaker]

The Bears offensive line was also somehow ranked in the top 10 despite being by far the worst pass blocking line in true pass sets.

I don’t care about a ranking when you watched the games last year, he wasn’t very good.

You ummmm know we weren't too often in true pass sets because it didn't fit our strengths right?

There are overall numbers - even from the source that you quote for true pass sets - that will give you the overall for the OL.

Yes, and I also understand that if you avoid being in true passing sets as much as possible because you’re offensive line can’t pass block, that offensive line is not good.

Which goes to my point that nobody showed they were good enough to be just handed jobs. Ideally, everyone should be competing for a starting spot.

[Mikefive]

Absolutely HATE the idea of moving Jenkins from the spot where he's been the best lineman on our team to the position where last year he got demoted because he was getting consistently beat by a guy who didn't even make the team. Even if Jenkins wants to play OT, to tell him that we're going to get him to the pro bowl at OG isn't all that awful. Moving Jenkins makes no sense to me. None.

That they're even considering Whitehair at C shows that they don't want to have to depend on Lucas Patrick. Sound thinking, I'd say. An interesting, if imperfect solution to the C problem, at least for this year. I'm sure nothing's cast in stone.

Where does any faith in Alex Leatherwood come from at this point?

Where does the faith in Jenkins come from? Sure he was a beast here and there when healthy and not in the doghouse.

Doesn’t it say something about Jenkins that they signed a guy who’s been a RG since college?

My faith in Jenkins comes from the tape that says future pro bowler all over it after having not played the position at all as a pro until late in TC. He was our best OL guy last year. I don't know anyone who disputes that. Moving him to the position where he failed last year just seems mind bogglingly stupid to me.

As I said before, we can't pass judgement until we see the end result. But I just don't get why moving him to OT would be on the table.

[RichH55]

Where does the faith in Jenkins come from? Sure he was a beast here and there when healthy and not in the doghouse.

Doesn’t it say something about Jenkins that they signed a guy who’s been a RG since college?

My faith in Jenkins comes from the tape that says future pro bowler all over it after having not played the position at all as a pro until late in TC. He was our best OL guy last year. I don't know anyone who disputes that. Moving him to the position where he failed last year just seems mind bogglingly stupid to me.

As I said before, we can't pass judgement until we see the end result. But I just don't get why moving him to OT would be on the table.

I wasn't on this board for it - but I guess this will be a potential Kyle Long redux

[rtd]

From what I have heard, Davic is at LG , Whitehair moves to C, Jenkins says at RG. Patrick is backup C , J Carter is swing G with Borum as swing T going into the draft.

[Grizzled]

Davis will be a starter, book it. I'm thinking they'll try him at LG and keep Jenks at RG but maybe they'll give Teven a shot at RT. Whitehair and his QBs seemed to have too snap issues; hopefully he and Fields could work on this if that's where they put Cody. No word on Kramer's recovery and abiliy to play this year, this has to influence if they draft another C.