Oct 19, 2014; Chicago, IL, USA; Chicago Bears center Brian De La Puente (64) during the first quarter at Soldier Field. Mandatory Credit: Mike DiNovo-USA TODAY Sports
The Chicago Bears offseason is in full swing as we head toward the start of the new league year and Free Agency. As a part of our Chicago Bears Roster Review, we’re leading off by looking at Bears Free Agents. New GM Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox have some tough decisions to make as they reshape the Bears roster in hopes of a bounceback 2015 season.
Brian De La Puente, Center, 29
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Brian De La Puente is a twenty-nine year old center who has been in the league for seven years. Last season, he was a solid fill in for guard Matt Slausen and center Roberto Garza while they were out with injuries, but his season was ended in the same way in late November when he hurt his ankle.
De La Puente was impressive for his versatility; he was able to play guard and center quite well. He saw his first NFL action in 2010 with the New Orleans Saints. He took over the role of starting center for the team in 2011, when Olin Kreutz got injured retired in the middle of the season. De La Puente is unique because he has replaced two famous Bears offensive linemen (Garza and Kreutz), although one of them was with the Saints at the time. Since 2011, he has been an effective pass protector.
2015 Outlook
I see De La Puente as a low risk, high reward guy. He was pretty good this season before his injury. At 29, he still has a few prime year left in him. Resigning him would not handcuff the Bears to an outrageous contract. On the contrary, he is relatively cheap. A versatile lineman is not the type of player who should be released.
I can see the Bears letting him go strictly for rebuilding purposes, but I strongly believe that they will end up bringing him back. If I were Ryan Pace, I would offer him a deal for around 3 years.
What do you think? Should the Bears resign De La Puente or is he not worth it?