Countdown to Kickoff… Roberto Garza Days from Chicago Bears Season Opener

Sept 13, 2012; Green Bay, WI, USA; Chicago Bears center Roberto Garza (63) during the game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

I decided to do a countdown to the Chicago Bears season opener on September 8th versus the Cincinnati Bengals.  Thanks to one of my Twitter followers, I decided to combine the countdown with a roster preview of sorts.

We’re Roberto Garza days away from the start of the Bears season.  Let’s take a look at the veteran anchor of the Bears offensive line and what 2013 has in store for him.

Roberto Garza has been with the Bears since 2005 after a few seasons with the Atlanta Falcons.  He was drafted in 2001 with the 99th selection overall out of Texas A&M-Kingsville.  Garza spent a majority of that time playing guard and only moved over to center with the Bears after the Bears bid Olin Kreutz adieu back in 2011 following the lockout.  Garza helped in the transition from Kreutz and been arguably the best lineman in that stretch.  Sadly, that’s not saying much as the Bears offensive line has been brutal the last couple of seasons.

Garza’s been on the decline over the last couple of seasons and frankly, I’m surprised that the Bears haven’t been more active in trying to create a succession plan for Garza’s eventual departure.  Of the 36 centers ranked by ProFootball Focus, Garza was ranked 28th overall in 2012.  He struggled in run blocking according to PFF’s analysis.

I know there are a lot of Roberto Garza fans out there, so I’m prepared to take some flack for getting after Garza.  I see him starting at center but mostly because there aren’t really any other options with any real experience at the position.

We couldn’t finish up this post without a nod to one of the most notable 63’s in Bears history, center Jay Hilgenberg.

We’re 63 days from kickoff.  Are you ready???