Previewing the Chicago Bears offensive line for 2017

A complete preview of the Chicago Bears offensive line situation for the 2017 season.

With Chicago Bears preseason games right around the corner, we at Da Windy City are previewing each and every position group for the 2017 season. We have already looked at the quarterbacks, running backs, wide receivers and tight ends. Today, we round out the offensive unit with a look at the big guys up front, the offensive linemen.

An impressive interior trio

Any talk of the 2017 Chicago Bears offensive line begins with their interior linemen. The starting trio of Josh Sitton, Cody Whitehair and Kyle Long are as good as it gets when healthy. Sitton and Long are apparently going to swap positions this season, with Long at left guard and Sitton at right guard, but regardless, this is an elite unit.

Both Long and Sitton are incredible veteran players who the Bears know they can count on. Long has had some injury issues, but these two are arguably the most consistent players on the entire roster, easily if we are only looking at the offensive side of the ball.

However, it is Whitehair who makes this all come together nicely. The Bears drafted Whitehair in the second round of the 2016 NFL Draft. He was a fantastic left tackle in college but did not quite have the athleticism or length to play on the outside in the NFL. That hurt his draft stock but Whitehair came right in and was a fantastic starter for the Bears at the center position.

With fantastic natural pass protection skills and a mean streak on the inside, Whitehair is undoubtedly an elite young option at the position.

Struggles at tackle

As great as the Bears are on the interior, they have some real issues at both offensive tackle positions. Charles Leno returns as the Bears starting left tackle. Leno played much better last season than he did in 2015 and he shows some real promise as a pass protector.

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However, his run blocking skills are poor and he is a below average NFL left tackle at best. There is a world where Leno takes another step forward in 2017 and is a strong starter at the position, but I would not be betting on it. If they could find a true left tackle, I think Leno would be best suited as a solid pass protector at the right tackle position. However, for now, he is who they have.

Bobby Massie returns as their Bears starting right tackle. As a decent run blocker who struggles in pass protection, he is kind of the opposite of Leno. In today’s NFL where the passing game rules the world, having a poor pass protector like Massie starting at a tackle position really hurts a team’s ability to compete. Massie will likely start for most of 2017, but I expect the Bears to aggressively look to replace him in the offseason, one way or another.

Rest of the group

Barring injuries, the starting offensive line of Leno, Long, Whitehair, Sitton and Massie is all but set in stone. However, the other players who the Bears keep at the position is a bit trickier. I would have bet on Eric Kush being the primary interior offensive lineman, but he will now miss the entire 2017 season with a hamstring injury.

With Kush out, Hroniss Grasu will likely get a strong opportunity to make the roster. Grasu is primarily a center, but if an injury to Long or Sitton happens, Whitehair could move to guard while Grasu handles his duties at center. It is not an ideal situation, but it could work. Rookie Jordan Morgan and massive guard Cyril Richardson and William Poehls could also figure into the mix.

Tom Compton and Bradley Sowell were brought in as depth at the offensive tackle position this offseason. Neither player is very good, but Compton does have some decent run blocking ability. I expect that Compton will make the Bears’ roster as the swing tackle. If the team suffers more than one injury at tackle, Kyle Long kicking back outside could be an option.

Next: Bears: Previewing the tight end position

I would not call the Bears offensive line great, but there is certainly some ability here. They lack depth and the tackle situation is concerning, but their starting interior line can hide some serious holes. Let’s put it this way, it is not the worst Chicago Bears offensive line we have witnessed in recent years.