Chicago Bears Preseason Week One What to Watch for: OL

What is there to watch for on the offensive line in the Chicago Bears second preseason game?

The Chicago Bears will be playing their second preseason on Week One of the preseason schedule. When you factor in how little we learned in the Hall of Fame game, it does feel as though this is still the first game.

Still, we now have a chance to track progress from bench players as well as get first glimpses at starters. What should we expect?

Charles Leno, Bobby Massie, Cody Whitehair

We should not expect Kyle Long again. There is just no reason.

Neither of the two tackles is lighting the world on fire. However, after re-watching the tackle play in the Hall of Fame game, these two stand head and shoulders above their peers.

We need to see competence. For Leno, there are fewer concerns, for Massie, let’s see some motivation. Let’s see you out in front of the run game, or holding off an edge rusher. Yes, his job is locked in, but he should not get to act like it.

There will not be much to take away from Whitehair either, but again the steady drumbeat of consistency for a player coming off of a down year would be nice.

Eric Kush, Earl Watford, James Daniels

In the Hall of Fame game, the Bears held out Daniels and Kush for differing reasons. Still, it led to Kush starting at center and leaving a spot open at left guard where Daniels could have taken starter snaps.

Now, the real question will be how starter snaps are dealt out? Kush is likely to start at left guard. However, without Kyle Long, do they go to Earl Watford early or the rookie?

Keep in mind; Daniels has taken his camp snaps at left guard and center, not right guard, where Watford has spent most of his time.

Expect Daniels to come out with the second team at left guard and play into the second half at center.

Hroniss Grasu

Grasu is still missing practice and is unlikely to play again. The team would likely slot Kush into center with the second team, and Daniels with the third team.

Matt McCants, Bradley Sowell

These were the two veteran tackles who were so disappointing early into the Hall of Fame game. Dejon Allen saw plenty of snaps at tackle, but these two are sure to see most of the second quarter and likely into quarter three.

Jordan Morgan, Dejon Allen, Rashaad Coward

Jordan Morgan got the start on Thursday and looked completely overwhelmed. Morgan looking out of sorts is no surprise when you consider he missed his rookie season and was behind a huge learning curve. Still, the clock started ticking on Thursday, and we need to see progress every week from this player.

He played every snap, so the game should have slowed down a bit. We will see how he responds to being thrown in the fire.

Coward got to play the majority of the game at right tackle. A former defensive tackle. Coward looked comfortable in his offensive line debut. Steady progress would make him a practice squad lock.

Dejon Allen played 71% of the snaps, mostly at tackle. We were not sure where Allen was going to line up, but with the reduced depth on the outside, the Bears may lock Allen into tackle for his first season.

Brandon Greene only saw five snaps in the Hall of Fame game, he may not play again this preseason, and Kaleb Johnson, who was just signed this weekend is unlikely to see the field.

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