Excellent article on Teven Jenkins

[UOK]

Ipso facto? Wowzers. They don't literally grow on trees - thats an expression! Zero cost route? What are we doing here folks. Unless one if taking a very literal approach to Zero.

Some resources sure. But that isn't much - i.e Grow on Trees.

But yes from an availability standpoint - Guards grow on Trees

That isn't to say their is no value in them or no Hierarchy.

But its akin to Kickers - Kickers grow on Trees too. You can still have a bad one. You just chose poorly - it wasn't from a lack of drinking vessels

I don't really know what point you were trying to make, but good on you for that post. Of all the posts I've ever seen on this forum, this is definitely one of them.

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Anyway, as far as Jenkins goes, if he wants to play tackle, this would be the offseason to demonstrate value at that position, but if your trajectory at tackle is middling and you've demonstrated excellent play at guard, the one that will get you paid the most is what you're better at.

If he thinks he's automatically due a record-setting contract, he needs to keep working at pulling his head out of his ass and delete the twitter filter that looks for his name in articles.

[IE]

The Bears drafted two OG last year, and one got plucked from the PS by another team. So that leaves Carter, who played only 31 snaps (in one game... the preseason-like Vikes finale with the rotating QBs).

There is no reason to believe Carter isn't a potential prospect. It isn't a great look that Schofield played in front of him, given that Scho was SO bad. But I'm guessing it just comes down to practice reps and Carter was pretty much redshirted for this year and will get a chance next year.

I don't get the Borom slams. I strongly believe they don't see Jenk as an outside guy. Borom is likely going to be the swing OT in the future, with a FA at RT. Unless Poles ALSO invests in a top LT (if he can get one), and then Borom would probably be competing with Brax for the swing role with both of them being backups on the outside. BUT it likely that Brax is inked-in at LT and it is also entirely possible that we see both Borom and Brax back in those spots with Poles investing in lower-priced FA and a draft pick - and having them all compete for the various jobs. I think if Poles was going to invest in a high end FA at LT he would have done it last offseason.

Jenk is REALLY good at RG and I hope he stays there & stays healthy.

[wab]

They HAVE to settle the RT position somehow. I don't care how it's done, but the revolving door has to end.

As far as Carter goes, he came from a tiny school and needed to fill out to an NFL body. Southern listed him at 6'5 275. I'm actually rooting for him to be Whitehair's successor. He's looks the part of the NFL lineman they seem to be after.

[RichH55]

They HAVE to settle the RT position somehow. I don't care how it's done, but the revolving door has to end.

As far as Carter goes, he came from a tiny school and needed to fill out to an NFL body. Southern listed him at 6'5 275. I'm actually rooting for him to be Whitehair's successor. He's looks the part of the NFL lineman they seem to be after.

Very much agreed on RT - I'm fine giving McGary a bunch of money

It would not surprise me if we have a good Guard from last years draft - somehow someway

I also expect our 2nd or 3rd Round spots to be close to the sweet spot for drafting a Center

[thunderspirit]

They HAVE to settle the RT position somehow. I don't care how it's done, but the revolving door has to end.

As far as Carter goes, he came from a tiny school and needed to fill out to an NFL body. Southern listed him at 6'5 275. I'm actually rooting for him to be Whitehair's successor. He's looks the part of the NFL lineman they seem to be after.

J'Tyre Carter was in the same boat as Braxton Jones, frankly. I'd guess that the coaching and weight training at Southern University is pretty similar to that at Southern Utah, in that neither is gonna confuse you for Alabama or Georgia.

I wasn't all that high on Carter, in part because he doesn't have the athletic gifts that Jones has, though that's less of an issue at G. The Bears kept him around instead of the guy I thought could be the heir apparent to Whitehair (Zach Thomas), so maybe there's something there I don't see.

All that said: yeah, get a solution at RT, whomever that is.

[Ditka’s dictaphone]

It would not surprise me if we have a good Guard from last years draft - somehow someway

Just pluck one off the Guard-tree

[RichH55]

It would not surprise me if we have a good Guard from last years draft - somehow someway

Just pluck one off the Guard-tree

Sold on this plan

[IE]

They HAVE to settle the RT position somehow. I don't care how it's done, but the revolving door has to end.

As far as Carter goes, he came from a tiny school and needed to fill out to an NFL body. Southern listed him at 6'5 275.

Agreed stability is needed.

I do think there is a really good chance Poles' answer to that is Borom and another offseason of development. They clearly like him. I'm thinking they might draft an OT in the first few rounds and then have him compete with Borom on the right... and if the rookie wins then Borom goes to swing (because he can definitely play on the left as well). If Borom won he could stay the swing.

I'm going to guess Poles wants to build his Oline instead of buying it. I personally would like to see him sign one of those decent FA RTs like McGlinchy but will not be surprised (or dismayed) if he doesn't. Outside of McG and Taylor from Jax the FA RT list is REALLY old. I strongly believe Poles wants to stay young and build his line. That might include taking a run at one of those two guys - but then doing nothing if it doesn't work out, turning back to develop what he has.

I would also LOVE to see an Orlando Brown-type stud on the left right now for JF1 - who wouldn't love that. But I also again do believe the Bears' young guys will continue to develop and play better - same names but better play with continuity. I think that is what Poles believes too. So I think folks expecting big splashes on the Oline might be disappointed.

Fans like having a goat - a Borom or a Mustipher. But I think we need to consider how it appears the regime value guys like that, and why. The clearly DO like those guys, and they're not stupid. One of the reasons why is they really don't play as consistently badly as they are portrayed by the pitchfork and torch carriers. Some of their struggles can easily be attributed to a lack of continuity and experience - things that can be fixed. And the fact that guys like that HAVE played fairly well at times is more a sign of their potential for improvement than there is any case that they are just bad & that's it.

[IE]

They HAVE to settle the RT position somehow. I don't care how it's done, but the revolving door has to end.

As far as Carter goes, he came from a tiny school and needed to fill out to an NFL body. Southern listed him at 6'5 275. I'm actually rooting for him to be Whitehair's successor. He's looks the part of the NFL lineman they seem to be after.

J'Tyre Carter was in the same boat as Braxton Jones, frankly. I'd guess that the coaching and weight training at Southern University is pretty similar to that at Southern Utah, in that neither is gonna confuse you for Alabama or Georgia.

I wasn't all that high on Carter, in part because he doesn't have the athletic gifts that Jones has, though that's less of an issue at G. The Bears kept him around instead of the guy I thought could be the heir apparent to Whitehair (Zach Thomas), so maybe there's something there I don't see.

All that said: yeah, get a solution at RT, whomever that is.

Maybe similar situation but with Carter needing time to get his body to where Brax's body already was (and even his needs work).

Be clear the Bears didn't choose Carter over Thomas. They wanted to keep them both but when the other team (AZ?) picked Thomas they let him go vs guarantee him the dollars they would have been required to (like when Pace didn't let Bars go). I think Poles considered them both prospects and not ready - so we wasn't going to give ready money to a prospect just because.

[wab]

I keep going back to Poles reportedly saying when he was hired that he didn’t think Borom could play OT. I don’t know that Borom did anything to change that opinion (if at all true). I think that’s why Borom started to get some looks at guard.

[IE]

I keep going back to Poles reportedly saying when he was hired that he didn’t think Borom could play OT. I don’t know that Borom did anything to change that opinion (if at all true). I think that’s why Borom started to get some looks at guard.

I totally remember people talking about it (although I never really saw a direct quote). I do remember a quote about guys playing out of position - but maybe that was regarding Jenk? Some were speculating Borom wouldn't even make the team. That seemed weird to me - because he played well on the left the prior year and that isn't trivial.

But anyway their going-in position changed (or the narrative was proved false) once practice started last offseason. They seem to take a liking to him when he showed up in shape, bought in, and such. To me it seems like they did a 180 on him last offseason and now he is not just someone they are tolerating but really like longer term.

I can totally see why they'd want to see him at OG. Just like Mustipher - to see what guys are capable of, and determine what flexibility they have. If a guy like Borom can play swing tackle AND also back up at G that of course is very useful.

I'm not saying I think they envision him as the longer-term RT and I do believe he'll end up as just a solid backup. But they were already surprised last season by him and it is conceivable he'd continue to impress them with his development.

[Kylo Bearen]

I think he will be more than happy about being a badass OG when he sees the contracts he can warrant. The 4th highest paid OL is a OG in Nelson (per AAV), Elgton Jenkins just got $17 mil per year, Scherff is right behind, etc.

Personally I think him being an OG and Borom being the OT is backwards, just like how Long and Mills were IMO. But if you're good then you're going to get paid a lot regardless.

Yep money can mend a bruised ego in the sports world.

[Grizzled]

Say what you want about Pace, he did do his homework on Jenkins before picking him. The issues were how Nagy and staff then misused him. I would be perfectly content if he is the Bears starter at RG for 10 years, playing guard isn't the snap a lot of folk seem to think, not everybody can play the position well.

I sure wouldn't say that.

He picked a guy who was red-flagged by many teams and came in injured and needing surgery before taking a snap.
Then he eventually succeeded at RG, after a tradeup intended at landing a starting LT.

Mismanaged by prior and current coaches, maybe. But not such that Pace gets a pass.

Good points. None of the draft profiles available to the public mentioned his potential back injury issues. Seems like Pace thought he would get a potential starter at a discount because of that while other GMs had taken him off their draft charts entirely. Just hoping he's found his NFL role at RG and can hold it down for a number of years but the Bears are going to have legitimate backups at G in case he gets injured again.