The Chicago Bears' left tackle position is one of the most up in the air positions on the roster. So, it makes sense why many have speculated that Taylor Decker would be a good fit for the team. Decker is one of the best free agents left. He plays a position the Bears need, so why wouldn’t they sign him? While it makes sense on paper, the Bears might not go down that road, at least not yet.
Why Taylor Decker is not a fit for the Chicago Bears
The left tackle competition is not settled, but there are also legitimate options on the roster. They have four potential starters, which is already too many for a legitimate competition, so the question right now is more about who will be getting phased out, and less about who will be added in.
Braxton Jones is the likely option to start training camp with the first team. His peaks were not as high as Decker's, but Jones will be 27 next season, and Decker will be 33. The reason Decker is unsigned is because of his age, and Jones could bring more upside next year.
Behind Jones is Jedrick Wills, who is a former first-round pick. Wills has quality NFL tape, but he is coming off a season where he did not play due to injury. If Wills is not healthy, the team would need Decker, but the potential of Wills has already proven to be better in recent seasons.
Theo Benedet and Kiran Amegadjie are going to be in the mix as well. Both are viewed more as projects with potential in the future, but because of the depth chart, they both could get on the field sooner than expected. In the case of Benedet, he played last season.
The odds of these two breaking out are not that high; neither of them is going to develop if they do not get opportunities in OTAs and training camp. Decker would take away from the chances that the longer-term options need.
If the Bears show up to training camp and these options are either getting hurt or not taking steps forward, then the team should look to Decker. However, if Decker signs before then, the Bears are just going to have to live with it.
It makes sense why the two sides are connected, but in actuality, the Bears should not sign Taylor Decker.
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