Offensive Line - What will it look like

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

So we are all really excited about all of the new toys on the offense. Allen, Swift, Odunze, Williams, etc. But we all can agree that if this OL doesn't come together, there is no way that the offense will be as successful as it could be. Poles went out and picked up a few OL, drafted another, and will have a stout competition for the starting five. So who is that and why?

Right now we have 15 OL on our roster. You figure that has got to be whittled down to eight. There are a few camp bodies in there, but Poles gave up a draft pick for Bates, and signed a lucrative contract (looking at you Nate Davis). Some players you can stash on the PS, some you can't because they would get poached. Here are my starting five linemen and my rationale as to why;

Braxton Jones - Tevin Jenkins - Ryan Bates - Nate Davis - Darnell Wright

I say this with a bit of hesitation. I think Jones is a lock at starting LT. Ryan Bates was brought in to secure the C position. Poles tried to sign him a couple of years ago, but wasn't able to. Nate Davis is going to start at RG because we still owe him a lot of money, and Poles will want to see if he can recover his form from when he was at Tennessee. Darnell Wright had an excellent year as a rookie, and will continue to improve with another full offseason. The wild card here is Tevin Jenkins. I agree with WAB, I don't think Poles likes him much. He didn't draft him, being a former OL himself, I don't think Jenkins has the work ethic that Poles is looking for. Jenkins starts there, but I believe he's one more injury away from losing that spot permanently.

Your reserve/swing OL will be Amegadjie, Carter, Curhan. I think Borom goes to the PS, along with one more younger project. I wouldn't be shocked if Jenkins loses his starting spot mid-season to Amegadjie. Yes, I think Kiran Amegadjie can slide inside and play half of the year at LG.

[wab]

I think if one of Jenkins/Davis gets hurt or misses time, they won't get their spot back.

Davis, barring a massive turnaround, is very likely gone at the end of the year. Jenkins is about to get very expensive and while I would love for him to remain a Bear, I just don't see Poles paying him. I hope I'm wrong though.

I'm probably the biggest Braxton stan on this board, but I'm not certain his job is super safe either.

I like Curhan/Amegadjie as the swing guys because they can play both OT and OG. I don't think Carter makes it over Shelton...I think Carter goes to the PS and Borom just gets shown the door.

So...

Braxton
Jenkins
Bates
Davis
Wright
Amegadjie
Curhan
Shelton

And maybe Pryor.

Carter to the PS.

[thunderspirit]

If Poles thinks Jenkins is worth extending, it won't matter if he drafted him or not (exhibits A and B: Cole Kmet and Jaylon Johnson). But I tend to agree with the notion that there won't be a hesitation to replace either TJ or Nate Davis for performance reasons. (I'm low on Davis — wasn't particularly high on the signing in the first place — and I hope he proves me wrong.)

[Wounded Bear]

Until we put an emphasis on building this team from the inside out, I am dubious of the success we can have. It seems that when we’re in the middle of the season and experiencing injuries along the offensive line, everyone is clamoring for an upgrade to the offensive line. But when we hit draft season, everyone wants a badass defensive end or receiver or a 3-technique, which is all good, but when you have a brand new QB, I just wish that we would put an emphasis on protecting that QB with offensive line help.

Offensive line as a whole is a multiplier position that makes everyone else on the offensive side of the ball perform better. I’m hoping Poles makes some real moves in FA to address the impending injuries that are certain to occur.

[wab]

Until we put an emphasis on building this team from the inside out, I am dubious of the success we can have. It seems that when we’re in the middle of the season and experiencing injuries along the offensive line, everyone is clamoring for an upgrade to the offensive line. But when we hit draft season, everyone wants a badass defensive end or receiver or a 3-technique, which is all good, but when you have a brand new QB, I just wish that we would put an emphasis on protecting that QB with offensive line help.

Well.. I mean Poles just drafted a dude at 10 last year. The position of most immediate need looks like guard/center. He traded for a center/guard, and signed another. There also wasn't really a guard worth taking at 9 this year, but he addressed OL with his next highest pick. Draft value is important context here.

[LacertineForest]

Until we put an emphasis on building this team from the inside out, I am dubious of the success we can have. It seems that when we’re in the middle of the season and experiencing injuries along the offensive line, everyone is clamoring for an upgrade to the offensive line. But when we hit draft season, everyone wants a badass defensive end or receiver or a 3-technique, which is all good, but when you have a brand new QB, I just wish that we would put an emphasis on protecting that QB with offensive line help.

Well.. I mean Poles just drafted a dude at 10 last year. The position of most immediate need looks like guard/center. He traded for a center/guard, and signed another. There also wasn't really a guard worth taking at 9 this year, but he addressed OL with his next highest pick. Draft value is important context here.

I have a feeling next year's draft is going to feature a whole lot of lineman on both sides of the ball.

[dave99]

Pre-draft somebody (don't remember who) made the point that the last thing you want is a rookie QB and a rookie center.
Both Bates and Shelton are upgrades over 2023.
I am confident that Poles will find his guy next year with a fairly high pick.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

I wouldn't be shocked if Jenkins loses his starting spot mid-season to Amegadjie. Yes, I think Kiran Amegadjie can slide inside and play half of the year at LG.

I would be. Jenkins is one of the best OG in the league and far and away the Bears' best lineman. Amegadjie's a 3rd round rookie from an Ivy League school. If by some miracle he plays better than Jenkins then they should look to bench any of the other OL rather than Jenkins!

Jenkins was one of the four Bears players Poles invited to have dinner with Caleb because he thought they would be really good in terms of just getting a good feel for "Is this a guy that we could follow? Is this a guy that we believe in in terms of getting this organization to where it needs to be?" I hope that's a positive sign, injuries permitting, that Poles is going to extend his best lineman.

[spudbear]

I'm curious to see how Carter does this year. He is the only one left, besides Jones, from Poles first draft big-bag-o-late round line picks. He started the second and third game of the season while Jenkins was out, and then did not play at all the last five games of the season. Did the staff give up on him? He's got training camp to prove he belongs, but Poles has picked up more interior OL.

[thefish7]

My start-of-season prediction, from left to right:
Jones, Jenkins, Shelton, Bates, Wright. It's possible Bates and Jenkins trade places.

On the bench:
Davis for reserve guard, Borom as swing tackle, Amegadjie as the 8th guy.

[Yogi da Bear]

So we are all really excited about all of the new toys on the offense. Allen, Swift, Odunze, Williams, etc. But we all can agree that if this OL doesn't come together, there is no way that the offense will be as successful as it could be. Poles went out and picked up a few OL, drafted another, and will have a stout competition for the starting five. So who is that and why?

Right now we have 15 OL on our roster. You figure that has got to be whittled down to eight. There are a few camp bodies in there, but Poles gave up a draft pick for Bates, and signed a lucrative contract (looking at you Nate Davis). Some players you can stash on the PS, some you can't because they would get poached. Here are my starting five linemen and my rationale as to why;

Braxton Jones - Tevin Jenkins - Ryan Bates - Nate Davis - Darnell Wright

I say this with a bit of hesitation. I think Jones is a lock at starting LT. Ryan Bates was brought in to secure the C position. Poles tried to sign him a couple of years ago, but wasn't able to. Nate Davis is going to start at RG because we still owe him a lot of money, and Poles will want to see if he can recover his form from when he was at Tennessee. Darnell Wright had an excellent year as a rookie, and will continue to improve with another full offseason. The wild card here is Tevin Jenkins. I agree with WAB, I don't think Poles likes him much. He didn't draft him, being a former OL himself, I don't think Jenkins has the work ethic that Poles is looking for. Jenkins starts there, but I believe he's one more injury away from losing that spot permanently.

Your reserve/swing OL will be Amegadjie, Carter, Curhan. I think Borom goes to the PS, along with one more younger project. I wouldn't be shocked if Jenkins loses his starting spot mid-season to Amegadjie. Yes, I think Kiran Amegadjie can slide inside and play half of the year at LG.

If what you say is true, that Tevin and Davis are the concern here, it would make sense for Shelton to win the starting OC role and Bates to back up both guard positions.

[wab]

I'm curious to see how Carter does this year. He is the only one left, besides Jones, from Poles first draft big-bag-o-late round line picks. He started the second and third game of the season while Jenkins was out, and then did not play at all the last five games of the season. Did the staff give up on him? He's got training camp to prove he belongs, but Poles has picked up more interior OL.

I mean, he was a 275lb left tackle in college. So I think he was always a project.

[wab]

So we are all really excited about all of the new toys on the offense. Allen, Swift, Odunze, Williams, etc. But we all can agree that if this OL doesn't come together, there is no way that the offense will be as successful as it could be. Poles went out and picked up a few OL, drafted another, and will have a stout competition for the starting five. So who is that and why?

Right now we have 15 OL on our roster. You figure that has got to be whittled down to eight. There are a few camp bodies in there, but Poles gave up a draft pick for Bates, and signed a lucrative contract (looking at you Nate Davis). Some players you can stash on the PS, some you can't because they would get poached. Here are my starting five linemen and my rationale as to why;

Braxton Jones - Tevin Jenkins - Ryan Bates - Nate Davis - Darnell Wright

I say this with a bit of hesitation. I think Jones is a lock at starting LT. Ryan Bates was brought in to secure the C position. Poles tried to sign him a couple of years ago, but wasn't able to. Nate Davis is going to start at RG because we still owe him a lot of money, and Poles will want to see if he can recover his form from when he was at Tennessee. Darnell Wright had an excellent year as a rookie, and will continue to improve with another full offseason. The wild card here is Tevin Jenkins. I agree with WAB, I don't think Poles likes him much. He didn't draft him, being a former OL himself, I don't think Jenkins has the work ethic that Poles is looking for. Jenkins starts there, but I believe he's one more injury away from losing that spot permanently.

Your reserve/swing OL will be Amegadjie, Carter, Curhan. I think Borom goes to the PS, along with one more younger project. I wouldn't be shocked if Jenkins loses his starting spot mid-season to Amegadjie. Yes, I think Kiran Amegadjie can slide inside and play half of the year at LG.

If what you say is true, that Tevin and Davis are the concern here, it would make sense for Shelton to win the starting OC role and Bates to back up both guard positions.

Not if Bates is the better center.

If one of Davis/Jenkins misses time, then yeah, slide Bates over and put Shelton in at center. Don't sit a better player just because he has versatility (assuming of course that Bates is the better player).

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

I wouldn't be shocked if Jenkins loses his starting spot mid-season to Amegadjie. Yes, I think Kiran Amegadjie can slide inside and play half of the year at LG.

I would be. Jenkins is one of the best OG in the league and far and away the Bears' best lineman. Amegadjie's a 3rd round rookie from an Ivy League school. If by some miracle he plays better than Jenkins then they should look to bench any of the other OL rather than Jenkins!

Jenkins was one of the four Bears players Poles invited to have dinner with Caleb because he thought they would be really good in terms of just getting a good feel for "Is this a guy that we could follow? Is this a guy that we believe in in terms of getting this organization to where it needs to be?" I hope that's a positive sign, injuries permitting, that Poles is going to extend his best lineman.

Great, he went to dinner. Yippee. Jenkins has to prove that he can stay healthy. I would rather have an OL that was 85% as good as Jenkins and was able to play the entire season, instead of an oft injured LG that you were constantly swapping out for a healthy body. Amegadgie had an early 2nd round grade on him. Most NFL pundits see that pick as very high value.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

So we are all really excited about all of the new toys on the offense. Allen, Swift, Odunze, Williams, etc. But we all can agree that if this OL doesn't come together, there is no way that the offense will be as successful as it could be. Poles went out and picked up a few OL, drafted another, and will have a stout competition for the starting five. So who is that and why?

Right now we have 15 OL on our roster. You figure that has got to be whittled down to eight. There are a few camp bodies in there, but Poles gave up a draft pick for Bates, and signed a lucrative contract (looking at you Nate Davis). Some players you can stash on the PS, some you can't because they would get poached. Here are my starting five linemen and my rationale as to why;

Braxton Jones - Tevin Jenkins - Ryan Bates - Nate Davis - Darnell Wright

I say this with a bit of hesitation. I think Jones is a lock at starting LT. Ryan Bates was brought in to secure the C position. Poles tried to sign him a couple of years ago, but wasn't able to. Nate Davis is going to start at RG because we still owe him a lot of money, and Poles will want to see if he can recover his form from when he was at Tennessee. Darnell Wright had an excellent year as a rookie, and will continue to improve with another full offseason. The wild card here is Tevin Jenkins. I agree with WAB, I don't think Poles likes him much. He didn't draft him, being a former OL himself, I don't think Jenkins has the work ethic that Poles is looking for. Jenkins starts there, but I believe he's one more injury away from losing that spot permanently.

Your reserve/swing OL will be Amegadjie, Carter, Curhan. I think Borom goes to the PS, along with one more younger project. I wouldn't be shocked if Jenkins loses his starting spot mid-season to Amegadjie. Yes, I think Kiran Amegadjie can slide inside and play half of the year at LG.

If what you say is true, that Tevin and Davis are the concern here, it would make sense for Shelton to win the starting OC role and Bates to back up both guard positions.

Poles has been high on Bates since 2022. He tried to sign him, but Buffalo matched the tender offer. Bates is your starting C. Bet on it.

[Moriarty]

Barring injuries, I think Opening Day is fairly simple:

Jones, Jenkins, Shelton/Bates, Davis, Wright
C is the only thing unsure to me
Kiran, Bates/Shelton are locks for backups. Carter probably sticks. Borom's new pricetag probably costs him the last spot, letting Matt Pryor in.


What happens between Opening Day 2024 and Opening Day 2025 is wide, wide open, though.

Wright could excel, he could remain tolerable, he could get bumped inside to G.
Davis could return to his usual self, he could be gone at the end of the year.
Kiran could be moved into a vacant G spot, he could go to RT, he could go to LT, he could remain a backup for a while longer
Jenkins could get a windfall elsewhere, Bears might decide he's too brittle to count on, Bears might pay up, Bears might pay up and decide for that money he should try RT again.
Shelton might or might not be back.
Braxton could be dealt if Kiran inspires confidence at LT.
They may finally draft a quality C, they may not.

[Yogi da Bear]

If what you say is true, that Tevin and Davis are the concern here, it would make sense for Shelton to win the starting OC role and Bates to back up both guard positions.

Not if Bates is the better center.

If one of Davis/Jenkins misses time, then yeah, slide Bates over and put Shelton in at center. Don't sit a better player just because he has versatility (assuming of course that Bates is the better player).

Of course, but not if what BWN says is true. In 2022, Bates played only 135 snaps at center (810 at guard) and last year he only played 35 snaps at center. That's only 170 snaps at center total for his career. Shelton, however, has played more than 2000 snaps at center and all in Wauldron's offense at the Rams. Now, if our two guard positions are as iffy as BWN implies, then Bates if going to have to spend a great deal of training camp actually training at those positions. Just in case.

My whole point though is that I personally don't agree him. I don't believe that our two starting guard positions are that iffy. I think that Bates should be able to concentrate with Shelton on the center position alone and let the best man win.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

I would be. Jenkins is one of the best OG in the league and far and away the Bears' best lineman. Amegadjie's a 3rd round rookie from an Ivy League school. If by some miracle he plays better than Jenkins then they should look to bench any of the other OL rather than Jenkins!

Jenkins was one of the four Bears players Poles invited to have dinner with Caleb because he thought they would be really good in terms of just getting a good feel for "Is this a guy that we could follow? Is this a guy that we believe in in terms of getting this organization to where it needs to be?" I hope that's a positive sign, injuries permitting, that Poles is going to extend his best lineman.

Great, he went to dinner. Yippee. Jenkins has to prove that he can stay healthy. I would rather have an OL that was 85% as good as Jenkins and was able to play the entire season, instead of an oft injured LG that you were constantly swapping out for a healthy body. Amegadgie had an early 2nd round grade on him. Most NFL pundits see that pick as very high value.

Of course Jenkins has to stay healthy. I'd be worried about his injury history a whole lot more if he missed games last year due to his back or neck but he didn't. His non-football related calf strains to start the season were bizarre, but once he returned he played the rest of the season and only missed time due to a concussion that kept him out of one game.

Amegadgie dropped in the draft because he was injured last year too and only played 4 games. He has to prove he can stay healthy! Then he'd have to prove that he is 85% as good as Jenkins, something no other Bears lineman has been since Kyle Long was in his prime.

I have nothing against Amegadgie. I hope he proves to be a great signing. But I'm not going to imagine him starting ahead of the Bears best lineman when his NFL career has barely begun.

[IotaNet]

I have a feeling next year's draft is going to feature a whole lot of lineman on both sides of the ball.

Agreed. The early projections say that the 2025 draft will be chock full of excellent d-linemen.

I also think that we will be close enough to contention next year that Poles may make an exception and swing for a stud free agent to plug a key hole. That’s not his usual MO, but I think he would do so if he felt we were THAT player away from winning big.

[RichH55]

Great, he went to dinner. Yippee. Jenkins has to prove that he can stay healthy. I would rather have an OL that was 85% as good as Jenkins and was able to play the entire season, instead of an oft injured LG that you were constantly swapping out for a healthy body. Amegadgie had an early 2nd round grade on him. Most NFL pundits see that pick as very high value.

Of course Jenkins has to stay healthy. I'd be worried about his injury history a whole lot more if he missed games last year due to his back or neck but he didn't. His non-football related calf strains to start the season were bizarre, but once he returned he played the rest of the season and only missed time due to a concussion that kept him out of one game.

Amegadgie dropped in the draft because he was injured last year too and only played 4 games. He has to prove he can stay healthy! Then he'd have to prove that he is 85% as good as Jenkins, something no other Bears lineman has been since Kyle Long was in his prime.

I have nothing against Amegadgie. I hope he proves to be a great signing. But I'm not going to imagine him starting ahead of the Bears best lineman when his NFL career has barely begun.

This I'm curious on - I get the Back thing (that is a thing that when its chronic - its bad - Though could any of these other injuries be "cascading" ones? I do not know)

But like when just all parts of the guy get dinged up every year - is that itself not an issue?

I am NOT saying its a toughness issue or any such nonsense - But at a certain point some guys have Matthews type genetics and some guys aren't physically build for the game either.

[The Marshall Plan]

Well.. I mean Poles just drafted a dude at 10 last year. The position of most immediate need looks like guard/center. He traded for a center/guard, and signed another. There also wasn't really a guard worth taking at 9 this year, but he addressed OL with his next highest pick. Draft value is important context here.

I have a feeling next year's draft is going to feature a whole lot of lineman on both sides of the ball.

I 100% agree with this.

It's also why Jenkins might not get a second contract with us.

We have a first, two seconds, a third and then the rest.

I think there's at least 2 linemen in there. Something like a G, C and DE.

[dave99]

One thing about Jenkins that i don't think has been mentioned, he was one of the teammates that Poles included in the Williams "teammate dinner".
From the article posted in the Caleb thread:

Meanwhile, Williams was sent to Sophia Steak in Lake Forest, where he’d meet a crew of his future teammates—tight end Cole Kmet, guard Teven Jenkins, linebacker T.J. Edwards, and receiver DJ Moore—in a private room. Poles dropped Williams off there, and went to eat in another part of the restaurant.

“We said, ‘I think it would be good that he meets with our players because that’s ultimately what matters,’” Eberflus says. “Ultimately, he’s going to be a teammate of these guys.’ And we want to get their feedback on, exactly, Is he a good teammate? Is he a guy’s guy? Is he easy to talk to? Is he easy to get along with?”

https://www.si.com/nfl/2024/05/06/insid ... draft-mmqb

This suggests that Jenkins is considered a leader in the locker room and that certainly adds to his not inconsiderable value as a player.

[dplank]

One thing about Jenkins that i don't think has been mentioned, he was one of the teammates that Poles included in the Williams "teammate dinner".
From the article posted in the Caleb thread:

Meanwhile, Williams was sent to Sophia Steak in Lake Forest, where he’d meet a crew of his future teammates—tight end Cole Kmet, guard Teven Jenkins, linebacker T.J. Edwards, and receiver DJ Moore—in a private room. Poles dropped Williams off there, and went to eat in another part of the restaurant.

“We said, ‘I think it would be good that he meets with our players because that’s ultimately what matters,’” Eberflus says. “Ultimately, he’s going to be a teammate of these guys.’ And we want to get their feedback on, exactly, Is he a good teammate? Is he a guy’s guy? Is he easy to talk to? Is he easy to get along with?”

https://www.si.com/nfl/2024/05/06/insid ... draft-mmqb

This suggests that Jenkins is considered a leader in the locker room and that certainly adds to his not inconsiderable value as a player.

He needed a body guard in case anyone started messing with him.

My opinion on our OL is that it's in the best shape that it's been in a long time. I don't expect our OL to be a problem at all, and it may be a strength of the team. I felt from about Week 5 onward last year the OL played really well and it will only improve with the new C's that we signed which covered our biggest weakness. Of course injuries could derail things, that's just how it goes, but we do have depth at C at least and I hope that means we aren't moving people around as much as we've done in the past when an injury strikes.

[HisRoyalSweetness]

One thing about Jenkins that i don't think has been mentioned, he was one of the teammates that Poles included in the Williams "teammate dinner".
From the article posted in the Caleb thread:

Meanwhile, Williams was sent to Sophia Steak in Lake Forest, where he’d meet a crew of his future teammates—tight end Cole Kmet, guard Teven Jenkins, linebacker T.J. Edwards, and receiver DJ Moore—in a private room. Poles dropped Williams off there, and went to eat in another part of the restaurant.

“We said, ‘I think it would be good that he meets with our players because that’s ultimately what matters,’” Eberflus says. “Ultimately, he’s going to be a teammate of these guys.’ And we want to get their feedback on, exactly, Is he a good teammate? Is he a guy’s guy? Is he easy to talk to? Is he easy to get along with?”

https://www.si.com/nfl/2024/05/06/insid ... draft-mmqb

This suggests that Jenkins is considered a leader in the locker room and that certainly adds to his not inconsiderable value as a player.

Yeah I mentioned it above. With Whitehair gone, Jenkins with 3 years experience is now the the longest serving member of the Bears offensive line. Only Borom's been with the team as long but he's a backup who will have to battle to make the team this season. That probably makes Jenkins the de facto leader of that group. Jenkins is also a tone setter in a way no other player on that line is. He plays how you want every lineman to play.

Those 4 may also have been picked for the dinner because they were among the closest to Fields and Poles needed to be sure there were going to be no concerns about disruptive influences with the transition to Williams. I don't know whether that is true of Jenkins and Edwards, but certainly Moore and Kmet had forged close friendships with Fields.

Unlike the others, Jenkins is in his contract year and has yet to be signed to a big contract so I doubt he's overly concerned with who is under center so much as with staying healthy and securing his and his young family's financial future.

[Bears Whiskey Nut]

Look. I LOVE Tevin Jenkins. I love how much nasty he brings to the field. I just don't love his injury history, and I didn't love his attitude as the Bears were trying to shake out a competent OL. If he can shake the injury thing, I will be as happy as anyone else on this forum. My guess is though, that Poles is going to go out and get his own LG with his draft picks next year. He may even get a RG while he's at it. Great OG's typically don't come off the board until the 2nd & 3rd round. And he has three of those picks right now.

[wab]

Look. I LOVE Tevin Jenkins. I love how much nasty he brings to the field. I just don't love his injury history, and I didn't love his attitude as the Bears were trying to shake out a competent OL. If he can shake the injury thing, I will be as happy as anyone else on this forum. My guess is though, that Poles is going to go out and get his own LG with his draft picks next year. He may even get a RG while he's at it. Great OG's typically don't come off the board until the 2nd & 3rd round. And he has three of those picks right now.

Quite possibly 4 if Cunningham takes a gig.

But yes, if Jenkins performs and the Bears pay him, I'll be thrilled. I still think he is going to want to go to a team that will give him a shot to play OT.

I may very well be wrong, but it's just a gut feeling.

[RichH55]

Look. I LOVE Tevin Jenkins. I love how much nasty he brings to the field. I just don't love his injury history, and I didn't love his attitude as the Bears were trying to shake out a competent OL. If he can shake the injury thing, I will be as happy as anyone else on this forum. My guess is though, that Poles is going to go out and get his own LG with his draft picks next year. He may even get a RG while he's at it. Great OG's typically don't come off the board until the 2nd & 3rd round. And he has three of those picks right now.

Quite possibly 4 if Cunningham takes a gig.

But yes, if Jenkins performs and the Bears pay him, I'll be thrilled. I still think he is going to want to go to a team that will give him a shot to play OT.

I may very well be wrong, but it's just a gut feeling.

Free Agent Guards are getting paid though. I doubt the Tackle thing was some commentary on the freedom of being the man on the island v. the man in the phone booth type meditation on the vagaries of liberty. It was just that Tackles get paid more.

But Guards are getting 20 million now at the top of the FA market. This has always been a Guard thing - and it just seems to be accelerating. Good Guards make FA more than other positions (many) and teams have money to spend - and feel they need to spend it on something

I call it the Ben Grubbs effect myself

[HisRoyalSweetness]

Bear in mind that whatever went down between Jenkins and Bears management occurred before he got married and had a baby. That changes a man's priorities and young men do mature. Whereas before he may have wanted to play OT to potentially maximise his earnings, now he may just be focused on getting the financial security a second contract brings.

[thunderspirit]

Bear in mind that whatever went down between Jenkins and Bears management occurred before he got married and had a baby. That changes a man's priorities and young men do mature. Whereas before he may have wanted to play OT to potentially maximise his earnings, now he may just be focused on getting the financial security a second contract brings.

For most people, the changing of priorities is true. (I know exceptions, and you probably do too.)

I hope he has matured and that his inclusion as part of the teammates assessing Caleb Williams is a sign of that, and likewise of the Bears' evaluation of him.

[Arkansasbear]

I think if one of Jenkins/Davis gets hurt or misses time, they won't get their spot back.

Davis, barring a massive turnaround, is very likely gone at the end of the year. Jenkins is about to get very expensive and while I would love for him to remain a Bear, I just don't see Poles paying him. I hope I'm wrong though.

I'm probably the biggest Braxton stan on this board, but I'm not certain his job is super safe either.

I like Curhan/Amegadjie as the swing guys because they can play both OT and OG. I don't think Carter makes it over Shelton...I think Carter goes to the PS and Borom just gets shown the door.

So...

Braxton
Jenkins
Bates
Davis
Wright
Amegadjie
Curhan
Shelton

And maybe Pryor.

Carter to the PS.

I think we swap Borem for a guy some other team might be cutting on the DL or we get a 6th or 7th for him.