Bears: It’s officially time for Alex Bars
With another injury to the Chicago Bears’ offensive line, it’s time to give the rookie a shot.
After losing starting guard Kyle Long for the season, it appears the Chicago Bears will be without another staple on the offensive line for the next few weeks. On Monday, the Bears announced that Bobby Massie suffered a high ankle sprain against the New York Giants and will miss a few weeks.
High ankle sprains can take a while to heal and for an offensive lineman who is so dependent on loading up on their legs, it could take even longer before the Bears feel comfortable putting him back out there.
So what can the Bears do? The offensive line has had its share of struggles, especially in the run game. And yesterday, things didn’t look better as converted defensive lineman Rashaad Coward looked overmatched. In fairness, he is learning to play an entirely new position on the fly in the NFL which is incredibly difficult, but so far the results just haven’t been there.
In some ways, maybe this injury could be a blessing in disguise for the team who now has the opportunity to see what they have in undrafted free agent signing Alex Bars out of the University of Notre Dame.
Bars played mostly guard in college but did get some time at the right tackle position during the preseason. He performed admirably too. So much so, that when the Bears cut him from their initial roster, he drew interest and a more lucrative offer from the New England Patriots. Instead, Bars turned down their offer to return to the Bears and reunite with his college offensive line coach, Harry Hiestand. Not many people turn down an opportunity to play for the Patriots, so the Bears should reward that loyalty with a call up to the active roster this week against the Detroit Lions.
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However, the promotion would not be merely a gratuity but would serve the legitimate purpose of evaluating a player who could fill a need on next year’s roster. The Bears will need to bolster their offensive line in the offseason. How much they will need to do so, could largely depend on whether Bars can contribute next season. There’s only one way to find out the answer to that question. Play the man.