Chicago Bears: Previewing the right guard competition
By Joseph Herff
Alex Bars – Chicago Bears Fan Favorite
Most of the time, a UDFA isn’t expected to compete for a starting job after just one season, but Bars is different. Bars was a monster his junior season at Notre Dame. He was expected to showcase his talent now that Quenton Nelson and Mike McGlinchey had gone in the top 10 picks and he was the last true star there. He was a preaseason All-American before the season started.
Unfortunately, after just five games, he tore his ACL and MCL. This led to him dropping greatly in the NFL draft and not even being drafted. He was expected to be a mid-round draft pick before the injury. He became a priority UDFA that the Bears were able to scoop up because of their former offensive line coach, Harry Hiestand, who was Bars line coach at Notre Dame as well.
After a full season of getting back into football shape, Bars is now ready to compete for a starting job. Midway through the season, the New England Patriots tried to poach Bars from the practice squad to be on their 53-man roster. Bars said no. Who says no to play with Tom Brady and Bill Belichick? Because of this, Bars received a nice raise in his salary.
Bars got pulled up to the active roster on October 15th to help with depth at right guard. He made his NFL debut in week 13 against the Detroit Lions. He didn’t play much, but when he came in, he looked like he knew what he was doing. He also looked very solid in the preseason playing guard and tackle.
Bars likely won’t win the job, but he could win the backup job and if one of those guys disappoints or gets hurt, Bars will be the next man up. After a full season of recovery, he could get a shot at the starting gig and he rightfully should.
Next. Breaking down the Bears' recent press conferences. dark
Final Thoughts:
The Bears struggled at offensive line greatly last year and a lot of that falls on the right guard. The Bears need one of these three guys to step up. The offensive line improving is the most important thing for this offense right now and if they improve, this is a much better team than 2019.