Chicago Bears: What to expect now that Charles Leno has been released

Teven Jenkins could be the next Chicago Bears starting left tackle

The Chicago Bears need to find a replacement for Charles Leno now that the team released him. Ideally, had it not been a salary cap issue, Charles Leno would still be on the team and Teven Jenkins would be starting at right tackle.

With Leno gone, it appears that Teven Jenkins will now get a shot at starting on the left side instead. I love the tenacity that Jenkins brings to his game, but he projects as a better right tackle than left tackle in my opinion. Jenkins has an arm length of 32-7/8″, which comes in just short of the coveted 33″ or longer that teams want to see in a left tackle. Jenkins is close enough that he will likely be fine though.

If Jenkins is able to play on the left side he will set the tone for this offense right away. He is a mauler who loves to hit defenders and make them bend to his will. This will be asking quite a bit though. At least in the beginning. It will take Jenkins a bit to catch up to the everyday rigors of the NFL compared to the collegiate level.

This would hold true though no matter if he were playing left tackle or right tackle. Although Jenkins is more familiar with the right side, he has some experience playing the left too. It will be interesting to see how this all plays out.