Chicago Bears: Grading the 3 most recent free agent signings
By Ryan Taylor
Originally a tight end in college, Wheatley now stands at 6-foot-6 and weighs 290 pounds as an offensive lineman.
The former Michigan athlete hardly saw the field in college. With his three years at Michigan, Wheatley only saw five games.
He transferred to Morgan State for his senior year to play under his dad, who played for 10 years in the NFL as a running back.
Now, after a four-day tryout with the Bears, Wheatley was granted a contract with the team this offseason.
Offensive lineman Tyrone Wheatley Jr announced on his Instagram that he is signing with the Chicago Bears.
— Daniel Greenberg (@ChiSportUpdates) June 12, 2021
Tyrone played in the Spring League and is the son of former NFL running back Tyrone Wheatley.
While Wheatley is an unproven athlete that had to switch his position to give him better odds of making the NFL, he still has a chance to make the squad.
The Bears’ offensive line was notoriously atrocious last season. They ranked average or below average in every offensive line statistic.
They were below average in power rank, stuffed percentage, and second-level yards. They also gave up 36 sacks on the season for a 6.2 percent sack rate, 16th in the league.
While the Bears have loaded up with Jenkins and Larry Borom in the draft, there is always room for improvement with the offensive line.
Wheatley is a harmless offseason tryout, A+ for prioritizing the offensive line.