The Chicago Bears need offensive line help. Who should they consider in free agency?
The Chicago Bears spent the first week of free agency filling a variety of needs. The quarterback position and tight end were addressed. The Bears also cornerback depth, safety depth and resolved their Leonard Floyd contract concerns.
However, there is one area that the team needs to address in free agency before the draft. They still need offensive line help.
The Chicago Bears have little to no depth at tackle, and still currently have Rashad Coward listed as a starter. Coward was inexperienced last year, but it is farfetched to think that they can attempt to go into the next season with him as their top option. They need depth at center as well.
With that in mind, the next signing they make should be offensive line. Who are five options out there that are still good fits for the Chicago Bears?
Ron Leary
Ron Leary was let go by the Denver Broncos after three years of his four-year contract with the team. He started in 12 games in 2017 before a back injury sidelined him. In 2018, he started the first six games, but an Achilles injury set him back. Leary impressively came back from that injury in time to be healthy for week one of 2019.
He started the team’s first 12 games before being shut down. However, as he recovered from his injury, and given where the Broncos season was, it can be argued they were just giving him a start on his new team while they let younger players get a shot.
Leary is 30 years old and has an array of injuries. He is not going to be the most popular player, but this is the point of free agency where there will not be elite options.
The fact is that the Bears can bring him in on the cheap, and he has years of experience starting at guard. This is the type of player they need to look for.
Mike Iupati
Mike Iupati has had a solid, long, NFL career from the 49ers in 2010, to the Cardinals in 2015 and last year in Seattle. Iupati is a bit older, at age 32, but last year put in a full, healthy season.
This is impressive, considering he missed 13 games with an elbow injury in 2017 and six games with a knee injury in 2018. Considering he was 30 and the injuries started to pick up, it was unexpected that he would step back and be effective in 2019.
It is unfair to say that Iupati was back to his Pro Bowl level in 2019. However, he put in 1,015 snaps at left guard for the Seahawks.
His resurgence at age 32 after multiple injuries can show that Ron Leary may be able to bounce back from his rash of injuries at this point in his career. It also showed that at a cheap price, he could be a valuable player who can start who in the NFL.
Germain Ifedi
The Chicago Bears signed Artie Burns, a reach in the first round of the 2016 NFL draft. One of the other bigger misses from the first round of that draft has been Germain Ifedi. If they think they can get more out of Burns with a new location, can they get more out of Ifedi?
Ifeid has started at both right tackle and right guard for the Bears. He can compete at right guard, but at the very least, he provides depth at right tackle that the roster currently does not have.
Ifedi is just 25 years old. Perhaps he is ready now to show his best play or use a year behind Bobby Massie to potentially jump in at age 26 in 2020.
Ifedi is a cheap shot to add depth at a position of need. Similar to Artie Burns, he could find himself fitting in Chicago.
Michael Schofield
Michael Schofield was a third-round pick for the Denver Broncos. He started at right tackle and right guard, before being let go. Schofield signed with the Chargers in 2017 and started four games at right tackle as a backup.
Over the past two seasons, he has played exclusively at right guard for the Chargers. Schofield has been below average in the run game but has been solid in pass protection. He is 29 years old and could compete at right guard, but also provide depth at right tackle.
Considering his age, the fact that he has not had a significant injury, and his experience at right guard and tackle, he is a good fit for the Chicago Bears at this point. The price should be cheap, and if it is right, the Bears will have interest.
Josh Kline
Kline was a UDFA for the New England Patriots. In classic Patriots fashion, they groomed him into a started during his second and third years. Kline moved to the Tennessee Titans in 2016, where he started at right guard from 2016-2018. Those three seasons were clearly his peak.
The Titans decided to let Kline walk after 2018, and he signed with the Minnesota Vikings. Kline saw a bit of a step back in play from his reputation with the Vikings but still held up well. He started at right guard for 13 games and their playoff run.
Kline is 30 years old but has fewer health questions than the other names mentioned on this list. He has experience at right guard and right tackle, and his peaks are that of a solid, or above-average starter.
On a cheap contract with a one-year, he could step in and prove as a reliable starting guard. He, at least, would provide great competition for the position. If the price is right, the Chicago Bears should be interested in Josh Kline.