Countdown to Kickoff…Eben Britton Days Until Chicago Bears Season Opener

May 14, 2013; Lake Forest, IL, USA; Chicago Bears offensive guard Matt Slauson (68) and guard Eben Britton (62) during organized team activities at Halas Hall. Mandatory Credit: David Banks-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 Eben Britton days from the start of the 2013 Chicago Bears season.  The Bears brought Britton in as a part of their offensive line makeover.  Let’s learn about one of the many new faces on the Bears offensive line and what he brings to the table for the 2013 season.

Britton is a 6’6″ 318 pound guard who spent the last four seasons with the Jacksonville Jaguars.  He was selected out of Arizona with the 39th overall selection by the Jaguars in the  draft class of 2009.  His career track in Jacksonville mirrors some high drafts picks by the Bears.  Stop me if you’ve heard this one before.

The Jags drafted Britton early in the second round.  The draft reports on Britton stated that he wasn’t cut out to play the left side, but he would thrive as a right tackle.  He struggled on and off at right tackle before sliding inside to left guard in the 2012 preseason.

Britton is an interesting piece for the Bears offensive line.  With fellow newcomer Matt Slauson expected to take over on one side of the line Britton and Kyle Long figure to battle it out for the other guard spot.  Long might have an inside track on the spot because of draft status but his limited college experience and missing the offseason program may cost him.  Don’t be surprised if Britton is the starter coming out of camp before Long can fully get up to speed on Marc Trestman’s offensive.  With his experience and both tackle and guard, Britton figure to be a valuable asset to the Bears in 2013.

We’re 62 days from kickoff.  Are you ready???