New OL projection

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

Yeah but what does he give you in practice?

[Yogi da Bear]

I agree with mmmc and IE, leave Jones where he's at. Moving him to RT would be like moving Leno there. Not a good move.
We need a center. There are like 4 who are all similarly rated right now in the draft. But there's also something to be said for bringing in a veteran center who can already make the calls. Perhaps bringing Patrick back?

On a side note, did I mention how much I absolutely LOVE Tevin Jenkins:



Damn!

[RichH55]

Yeah but what does he give you in practice?

Who was that WR? I want to say Wannstedt years

Chris Penn?

Something like that was the quote "How can I play X when Player Y(Not good at football) is practicing so well"

Ugh - its bugging me

[dplank]

I agree with mmmc and IE, leave Jones where he's at. Moving him to RT would be like moving Leno there. Not a good move.
We need a center. There are like 4 who are all similarly rated right now in the draft. But there's also something to be said for bringing in a veteran center who can already make the calls. Perhaps bringing Patrick back?

On a side note, did I mention how much I absolutely LOVE Tevin Jenkins:



Damn!

Nice highlight there, he pounds that dude at the end lol. Teven is a finisher, give me 4 more OL like that please.

[EricTighe]

Maybe just maybe our O-line is set. Except for center of course.

Jones needs to work on his game. But then again what rookie doesn't? If he puts in the work maybe he is our franchise LT.
Whitehair is nothing special but damn good at what he does. Mustipher actually plays better when Whitehair is next to him.
Jenkins has the potential to be a stud at RG.
Borom at worse will be a serviceable RT and at best could be a solid RT for years to come.

Watching these guys work together and get better every week makes me love the sum of the parts way more than I did when the season began.

[dplank]

Maybe just maybe our O-line is set. Except for center of course.

Jones needs to work on his game. But then again what rookie doesn't? If he puts in the work maybe he is our franchise LT.
Whitehair is nothing special but damn good at what he does. Mustipher actually plays better when Whitehair is next to him.
Jenkins has the potential to be a stud at RG.
Borom at worse will be a serviceable RT and at best could be a solid RT for years to come.

Watching these guys work together and get better every week makes me love the sum of the parts way more than I did when the season began.

I admit that they have played better than I anticipated, kudos to them and to the staff. That said, I don't like either T all that much right now and Mustipher still blows even if we are able to hide him a bit with two good G's. We need a proper anchor at LT - that MIGHT be Jones but I'm not convinced yet. And C is a big need IMO.

[EricTighe]

I don't disagree with ya.

I only think if Jones gets stronger, which should happen in a full off-season in the NFL, then he has the potential to be a franchise LT.

Sorry, I am still pulling for Mustipher as our own Rudy story. Most likely will never happen but a man can dream.

[Yogi da Bear]

Maybe just maybe our O-line is set. Except for center of course.

Jones needs to work on his game. But then again what rookie doesn't? If he puts in the work maybe he is our franchise LT.
Whitehair is nothing special but damn good at what he does. Mustipher actually plays better when Whitehair is next to him.
Jenkins has the potential to be a stud at RG.
Borom at worse will be a serviceable RT and at best could be a solid RT for years to come.

Watching these guys work together and get better every week makes me love the sum of the parts way more than I did when the season began.

A note on Jones.

Jones didn't bench at the Combine, but he came back at his Pro Day and put up 26 reps. That's an amazing number for somebody with arms as long as his. When I saw that number, I just thought the strength would be there, so I'm a bit shocked that his base is so weak. It sure seems like coming from a small school, he wasn't training on the proper exercises. I don't know why the Combine doesn't include a squat metric. Perhaps risk of injury? But squats would tell us so much more about all players at all positions than the Bench can. Still, the fact that Jones put up 26 Reps, tells me that he certainly has the work ethic to address his base in the weight room. In a Pro Training Program, I expect we're going to see a huge improvement there.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

I don't disagree with ya.

I only think if Jones gets stronger, which should happen in a full off-season in the NFL, then he has the potential to be a franchise LT.

Sorry, I am still pulling for Mustipher as our own Rudy story. Most likely will never happen but a man can dream.

This guy SM is letting our QB take too many hits. I think we need an upgrade ASAP.

What a story if he could do it

[dplank]

Maybe just maybe our O-line is set. Except for center of course.

Jones needs to work on his game. But then again what rookie doesn't? If he puts in the work maybe he is our franchise LT.
Whitehair is nothing special but damn good at what he does. Mustipher actually plays better when Whitehair is next to him.
Jenkins has the potential to be a stud at RG.
Borom at worse will be a serviceable RT and at best could be a solid RT for years to come.

Watching these guys work together and get better every week makes me love the sum of the parts way more than I did when the season began.

A note on Jones.

Jones didn't bench at the Combine, but he came back at his Pro Day and put up 26 reps. That's an amazing number for somebody with arms as long as his. When I saw that number, I just thought the strength would be there, so I'm a bit shocked that his base is so weak. It sure seems like coming from a small school, he wasn't training on the proper exercises. I don't know why the Combine doesn't include a squat metric. Perhaps risk of injury? But squats would tell us so much more about all players at all positions than the Bench can. Still, the fact that Jones put up 26 Reps, tells me that he certainly has the work ethic to address his base in the weight room. In a Pro Training Program, I expect we're going to see a huge improvement there.

I appreciate very much your acknowledgement of the difficulty of big bench press numbers for guys with long arms. I have monkey arms and it dogged me in the weight room big time, and my coaches gave me no quarter. I watched short arm, big chest guys move the bar like 4 total inches and call it a rep and I called bullshit because I had to move the bar like 2 fucking feet. Then we'd arm wrestle and they'd tell me I had to lower my arm angle (which kills any power/leverage) because my elbow to wrist length towered over theirs, then they'd run around telling folks they were stronger lol...sometimes I'd go Teven Jenkins on their ass just to make a point lol

[wab]

I don't think for a second that they would be giving Jones a full season at LT if they didn't feel he had a bright future there. They would have played Reiff from the beginning.

[RichH55]

Maybe just maybe our O-line is set. Except for center of course.

Jones needs to work on his game. But then again what rookie doesn't? If he puts in the work maybe he is our franchise LT.
Whitehair is nothing special but damn good at what he does. Mustipher actually plays better when Whitehair is next to him.
Jenkins has the potential to be a stud at RG.
Borom at worse will be a serviceable RT and at best could be a solid RT for years to come.

Watching these guys work together and get better every week makes me love the sum of the parts way more than I did when the season began.

A note on Jones.

Jones didn't bench at the Combine, but he came back at his Pro Day and put up 26 reps. That's an amazing number for somebody with arms as long as his. When I saw that number, I just thought the strength would be there, so I'm a bit shocked that his base is so weak. It sure seems like coming from a small school, he wasn't training on the proper exercises. I don't know why the Combine doesn't include a squat metric. Perhaps risk of injury? But squats would tell us so much more about all players at all positions than the Bench can. Still, the fact that Jones put up 26 Reps, tells me that he certainly has the work ethic to address his base in the weight room. In a Pro Training Program, I expect we're going to see a huge improvement there.

I always wondered that to on the Squats. V. Bench. Ever since Scott Young I've been more than out on Bench mattering all that much.

I also suspect that Jones lacks core strength.

There is a significant - and achievable - room for growth from Year 1 to Year 2

[thunderspirit]

I don't think for a second that they would be giving Jones a full season at LT if they didn't feel he had a bright future there. They would have played Reiff from the beginning.

This is where I am as well.

It may turn out that Braxton Jones can't cut it at LT. He has had some struggles there, certainly. But his shortcomings aren't athleticism or body type. It's pretty much strength and technique, both of which should be able to improve.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

Watching games live and the All-22 afterwards, Jones needs to work on three things:

1. Improving his leg-strength. His anchor is weak.
2. Sinking his hips. He plays far too upright
3. Attacking his blocks. He waits for contact in pass pro.

All these are reasons why he gets blown back far too frequently.

There's not much he can do about the first issue at this point of the year. He and the trainers will need to work on that before next season.

The other two are aspects of his game that coaches should be focusing on every week and presumably they are. It's just not translating into games as yet.

With Patrick no longer at G and Borom not at RT, Fields has more options when Jones does get beaten. Previously he had issues stepping up to avoid pressure because the interior kept getting blown up and he often couldn't move to his right because Borom wasn't keeping his man at a distance. His favourite move was the spin out to his left. The last couple of games Fields movement in the pocket has been varied, he's been able to keep his eyes downfield and, when pressure does get too close for comfort, break off runs in a multitude of directions. I think that's been a significant factor in the uptick in his performance and why he looks more comfortable in his decision-making.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

O-line decision

Right guard Teven Jenkins didn’t play against the Falcons because of a hip injury, but was a full participant in practice all week and is good to go for Sunday.

That doesn’t mean he’ll start, or even play.

The Bears were relatively pleased with veteran Michael Schofield the last two games and could stick with him. Coach Matt Eberflus said if Jenkins had been healthier last week, the Bears probably would’ve played both guys, so that’s a possibility this week as well.

If the Bears stay with the same group, it’ll be their first starting offensive line to last more than two consecutive games. They’ve had seven lineups in 11 games.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2022 ... ut-vs-jets

Good grief.

How can the Bears possibly be pleased with Schofield's performance in the last game? Jenkins has practiced all week without limitations. If they rotate him with Schofield then my faith in Eberflus will be seriously shaken.

[karhu]

Good grief.

How can the Bears possibly be pleased with Schofield's performance in the last game? Jenkins has practiced all week without limitations. If they rotate him with Schofield then my faith in Eberflus will be seriously shaken.

Mine, too. Eberflus's greatest accomplishment this year has been the team's new culture. I just can't see how Jenkins threatens that. He's our best offensive lineman, and by all accounts not a prick. And that should be enough.

I wouldn't raise an eyebrow if someone said that Doug Atkins could be a prick. He threatened teammates with guns, after all (as a way of forcing them to stick around and drink, sure, but still). Or Hampton and McMichael, who seemed to be real cowboys ("cowboys" as a put-down, in a vague European accent). I'll bet Walter Payton's practical jokes got old. Ted Washington was a gigantic prick in at least three senses, if at least half the stories are true.

All terrific-to-great players. All pricks in a certain light. So what's Jenkins done?

At a certain point, Eberflus has to show some conviction, some belief in his own success, some ability to shift from culture-building to taking advantage of the culture he's put in place. We've seen too many hedgehogs here--head coaches who knew one big thing--and not enough foxes. This might be our first realistic chance to see which one Eberflus is.

[BearsFanInMN]

If the coaches watch any game tape Jenkins is the clear starter. Get over whatever practice stuff bothers you and say the guy who brings it every snap of every game is the guy. Jones has been the only other bright spot for the most part on a horrible OL.

[karhu]

I appreciate very much your acknowledgement of the difficulty of big bench press numbers for guys with long arms. I have monkey arms and it dogged me in the weight room big time, and my coaches gave me no quarter. I watched short arm, big chest guys move the bar like 4 total inches and call it a rep and I called bullshit because I had to move the bar like 2 fucking feet. Then we'd arm wrestle and they'd tell me I had to lower my arm angle (which kills any power/leverage) because my elbow to wrist length towered over theirs, then they'd run around telling folks they were stronger lol...sometimes I'd go Teven Jenkins on their ass just to make a point lol

Sidebar, and a late one after I somehow missed this, but I hear you. The first time I had a shirt made, the tailor told me to quit joking around and put my shoulder back in its socket. When my kids wanted to get me something for my birthday and asked what size I wore, I had to say XXL, XL, and L. And short legs, too. I'm so simian that I had to have surgery to correct a problem with an ulnar nerve: instead of a ligament guiding the nerve through my elbow, I had a muscle...which is a feature of the lower primates, like lemurs. A coach in HS literally told me that I was going to have a hard time in just about any sport except boxing, "But we don't have that here, so you'll just have to get into some fights. You'll be all right."

[cblaz11]

I think Jenkins, Whitehair, and Braxton all have a good shot at returning as starters next year, but I don’t want to bank on any of them. We need to spend money and draft capital on OT, OG, and C. Bring in good competition and find your best 5.

[Mikefive]

A note on Jones.

Jones didn't bench at the Combine, but he came back at his Pro Day and put up 26 reps. That's an amazing number for somebody with arms as long as his. When I saw that number, I just thought the strength would be there, so I'm a bit shocked that his base is so weak. It sure seems like coming from a small school, he wasn't training on the proper exercises. I don't know why the Combine doesn't include a squat metric. Perhaps risk of injury? But squats would tell us so much more about all players at all positions than the Bench can. Still, the fact that Jones put up 26 Reps, tells me that he certainly has the work ethic to address his base in the weight room. In a Pro Training Program, I expect we're going to see a huge improvement there.

I appreciate very much your acknowledgement of the difficulty of big bench press numbers for guys with long arms. I have monkey arms and it dogged me in the weight room big time, and my coaches gave me no quarter. I watched short arm, big chest guys move the bar like 4 total inches and call it a rep and I called bullshit because I had to move the bar like 2 fucking feet. Then we'd arm wrestle and they'd tell me I had to lower my arm angle (which kills any power/leverage) because my elbow to wrist length towered over theirs, then they'd run around telling folks they were stronger lol...sometimes I'd go Teven Jenkins on their ass just to make a point lol

When I was in HS, we had those old universal machines. Everybody in my gym class was stunned that I could leg press the whole stack, over 1000#. I was an OK athlete, small and solid, but certainly more quickness than strength oriented. I quickly recognized that my 29" short legs made it possible along with leaving the seat where the previous taller person had it. I let everyone just be amazed though. lol

[WagonForce]

O-line decision

Right guard Teven Jenkins didn’t play against the Falcons because of a hip injury, but was a full participant in practice all week and is good to go for Sunday.

That doesn’t mean he’ll start, or even play.

The Bears were relatively pleased with veteran Michael Schofield the last two games and could stick with him. Coach Matt Eberflus said if Jenkins had been healthier last week, the Bears probably would’ve played both guys, so that’s a possibility this week as well.

If the Bears stay with the same group, it’ll be their first starting offensive line to last more than two consecutive games. They’ve had seven lineups in 11 games.

https://chicago.suntimes.com/bears/2022 ... ut-vs-jets

Good grief.

How can the Bears possibly be pleased with Schofield's performance in the last game? Jenkins has practiced all week without limitations. If they rotate him with Schofield then my faith in Eberflus will be seriously shaken.

This is entering bizarre territory for me. My impression of Schofield last week was that he did poorly, certainly not the level of play from the RG position Jenkins has exhibited this season. I wasn't really keying in on him so maybe I'm way off base here but still, Jenkins has looked great so far this year, the best on the line in my opinion.

What is the deal with this coaching staff and Jenkins? I supported them taking a hard line in training camp with him but since then, from what I've seen, he's said the right things and certainly performed on the field come gameday. Platooning him with Patrick kind of made (some) sense to me earlier in the year but there must be something I'm missing at this point. Is he just straight dogging it in practice or something?

[Grizzled]

I'm a firm believer in a stout interior for the OL. Jenkins is certainly one piece of that. The Bears obviously need better center,. They can cut Patrick loose after the season for not a major cap hit and they can sign a more reliable vet and/or draft a guy if they don't think Kramer will be in their plans. Whitehair might take a renegotiated deal to stick with the team but I'd like to see if Leatherwood can play the position. The Raiders played a power vlocking scheme and he didn't pan ut on the right side but maybe he could with the Bears scheme.

[dplank]

Yea, this is total bullshit but I'm hoping that it's not true and we see Teven start and play the entire game Sunday. He's been our best lineman by far, according to our combined fan view of the games and coupled with PFF rankings as well (which I'll never take as a stand alone metric cause they suck). His impact is obvious when he's out there, and we missed him badly last week as Schofield really struggled.

This all feels very personal / personality driven, and it's giving me a really bad feeling towards Flus/Poles if they can't move on from whatever the issue was during camp. The dude goes out and plays his ass off every week.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

I think Jenkins, Whitehair, and Braxton all have a good shot at returning as starters next year, but I don’t want to bank on any of them. We need to spend money and draft capital on OT, OG, and C. Bring in good competition and find your best 5.

If you don't want to bank on Jenkins then I don't know what to tell you. He's been very, very good. You'd be hard pressed to find an OG as good as him in free agency and even if you did he'd cost you a heck of a lot more. Jenkins' cap hits for the next two years are $2.3m and $2.7m and he's young with room for further improvement. A free agent replacement of his calibre would cost at least 5 times as much.

[wab]

I think Jenkins, Whitehair, and Braxton all have a good shot at returning as starters next year, but I don’t want to bank on any of them. We need to spend money and draft capital on OT, OG, and C. Bring in good competition and find your best 5.

If you don't want to bank on Jenkins then I don't know what to tell you. He's been very, very good. You'd be hard pressed to find an OG as good as him in free agency and even if you did he'd cost you a heck of a lot more. Jenkins' cap hits for the next two years are $2.3m and $2.7m and he's young with room for further improvement. A free agent replacement of his calibre would cost at least 5 times as much.

Based on how Jenkins had been handled thus far, it’s perfectly understandable why you shouldn’t bank on him.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

Based on how Jenkins had been handled thus far, it’s perfectly understandable why you shouldn’t bank on him.

I take your point, but there's difference between a forum member saying they don't want to bank on Jenkins and that the Bears need to spend on the O-line to provide competition for him (and the rest of the OL) and not banking on him being on the team because of the way they've handled (some might say mishandled) him.

I think we're all a bit mystified with the apparent lack of enthusiasm and appreciation from the Bears for Jenkins given the way he's performed.

[mmmc_35]

Maybe Jenkins is a cunt in the office. He definitely produced while in the games. However sometimes personality can really warp people's perspectives.

Or maybe there are logical reasons that we dont know of. Either way its definitely bizarre.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

Could it be they’re ‘managing’ Jenkins back?
He missed most of last season, had issues during the off season and wasn’t training hard. With the season blowing up could it be a case of building up his resilience and stamina without risking worsening his injury?

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

I’d really like the front office to work out what O-line pieces they have for next season.
Do we have a quality RG in Jenkins?
Do we have a decent Center in Patrick?
What do we have in Leatherwood?
What is Borom? Swing Tackle? Guard option?
Are we keeping Whitehair?
Is Braxton Jones the long term LT?

We have 6 games, a third of a season, to audition them.

On form the only certainty is Jenkins but he has other issues which are making him uncertain

[HisRoyalSweetness]

I saw a locker room interview Jenkins after today's game against the Jets. He was asked how they keep going and he simply said "pride".

He subsequently elaborated and talked about playing for yourself, your team and that you have to keep implementing the Coach's HITS principles. In short he gave model answers. There seems no reason for anyone not to love this guy either for how he performs on the field or for what he says publicly.