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PFF ranks Chicago Bears among the best offensive lines in the NFL

By Dan Schmelzer

Oct 16, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears center Cody Whitehair (left) and offensive tackle Nick Becton (center) and tackle Charles Leno (right) in action during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Soldier Field. Jaguars won 17-16. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 16, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears center Cody Whitehair (left) and offensive tackle Nick Becton (center) and tackle Charles Leno (right) in action during a game against the Jacksonville Jaguars at Soldier Field. Jaguars won 17-16. Mandatory Credit: Patrick Gorski-USA TODAY Sports /
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The Chicago Bears fare extremely well in the offensive line rankings by Pro Football Focus.

Could the offensive line be a hidden strength for the Chicago Bears in 2017? The unit has been an issue for the team for many years, never being able to protect Jay Cutler at a high level. However, in their ranking of the top offensive lines in the entire NFL, Pro Football Focus puts the Bears high on the list.

Coming it at number five, here is what PFF’s Michael Renner has to say about the Bears:

"Fifth might seem steep for Chicago, but at the moment there isn’t a better interior offensive line in the NFL. Left guard Josh Sitton, center Cody Whitehair, and right guard Kyle Long are all Pro Bowl-caliber players. The issues arise at tackle where Charles Leno and Bobby Massie have never proven themselves more than below average starters."

It is difficult to disagree with anything in that assessment. The Bears interior trio of Long, Whitehair and Sitton is as good as it gets, but their offensive tackle situation is shaky at best.

Leno has some upside at left tackle, but at this point, do we really expect him to be any better than he is? Massie is a strong run blocker, but his issues in pass protection are painfully obvious. With Massie expected to be the starting right tackle again in 2017, I have a hard time believing that the Bears are going to be able to properly protect the immobile Mike Glennon.

As a whole, I really like the Bears’ offensive line. Their elite interior trio helps make up for below average play at tackle. However, putting them at number five seems aggressive.

Not so fast

If I were to do these same rankings, I would probably have the Bears in the eight-to-nine range. They are not better than any of the unit ahead of them (Philadelphia Eagles, Cleveland Browns, Pittsburgh Steelers and Tennessee Titans). I would also undoubtedly put them behind the Oakland Raiders, Dallas Cowboys and Atlanta Falcons. I would also consider the Green Bay Packers and Washington Redskins ahead of Chicago.

Renner severely underrates the Cowboys and Raiders in these rankings. I get it, each has a massive hole at a position (LG for Dallas and RT for Oakland). That being said, few would agree with this assessment, making the Bears rank out better than expected.

Next: Most important Bears' players for 2017 season

There is a lot to like about the Chicago Bears offensive line. They are a strong run blocking unit who can be elite if they can get their pass protection under control. This is a strong group of players, but there are too many questions at tackle to warrant a top five ranking.

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