67 Days Until Chicago Bears 2017 Season Kicks Off: Jordan Morgan Profile
The Bear Goggles On Countdown to Kickoff series is now underway. With 67 days to go until the Bears season kicks off we will highlight the Bears player that is wearing number 67, offensive lineman Jordan Morgan.
2016 Season Review
Jordan Morgan was the Bears’ fifth-round draft choice in the spring. Morgan was a dominant left tackle at Kutztown University (Division II) the past four seasons. Morgan had a phenomenal season last year, being named to the Little All-American team, was a finalist for the Gene Upshaw Award (top DII lineman) and was named his conference’s offensive player of the year, as an offensive lineman!
2017 Outlook
The 2017 outlook for Morgan is a quiet one. As a rookie this season, Morgan should have the inside track to earn a spot on the Bears 53-man roster. Ryan Pace and John Fox give their young players every opportunity to stick around for a season or two before deciding their fate (as most teams do), so Morgan should be no different.
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Morgan is moving from tackle to guard at the NFL level, so he’ll need time to transition. He’s got a mean streak in him, which should bode well as he gets used to much larger defenders compared to the size of the defensive linemen he was blocking in Division II football. Morgan should make the 53-man roster, but wouldn’t be more than as a backup guard and to play some snaps on special teams.
Future with Bears
Morgan’s future with the Bears will certainly be one to watch. His future will depend on how he develops and how things shake out in the interior of the offensive line. Josh Sitton enters the final year of his contract that contains guaranteed money. The Bears could part ways with him after the 2017 season if they feel they have a capable replacement. If they don’t, Sitton has a three-year deal and could stick around for 2018. At that point, Sitton will be 33 and it’s hard to imagine he would be on the team beyond that season.
In some ways, Morgan is competing with Hroniss Grasu, despite not playing the same position. If Grasu looks very good this season, they may want to give him the opportunity to play center and move Cody Whitehair back out to guard. If that becomes a successful plan, Morgan won’t have anywhere to play. If Grasu doesn’t look impressive and the Bears decide to part ways with him, that means Whitehair will remain at center. If that happens, Morgan will have an opportunity to step into the starting lineup after Sitton departs after this season or next season.