The Chicago Bears seem to have their plans set at tackle heading into training camp. We can expect to see Teven Jenkins at left tackle and Germain Ifedi at right tackle, although Larry Borom will be competing to take that job.
Still, all that does is leave the interior to be deciphered. Cody Whitehair played two positions in 2020, James Daniels missed most of the year, and Sam Mustipher wound up starting at center from week eight on.
It appears that one of these three will be starting at center, the question is which one?
Cody Whitehair
Cody Whitehair has the most starting NFL snaps at center with 3,904. To start 2020, he was locked in at center, and only moved due to injuries and need. If the Bears want stability at center, they will pick Whitehair.
On the other end, Whitehair struggled in 2020 at center and once he moved to guard things seemed to take a turn for the better. Beyond that, his biggest issue at center is snapping, which does have its value. Lastly, it may help Teven Jenkins, a rookie LT to have Whitehair, a player who has seen it all beside him. Overall. Whitehair has been best at left guard and may be best there.
James Daniels
James Daniels spent 508 snaps at center in 2020. It was some of the worst play of his career to be blunt. His biggest issue is power and he is much better on the move. It is easier to get him away from nose tackles and to pull him from the guard spot to create open field runs.
On the other side, his biggest issue came with communication between he and Mitch Trubisky. With a more experienced signal caller, that could be easier, and he and Justin Fields can get on the same page together, whereas Trubisky had Whitehair early on, then had to switch to Daniels.
Beyond that, Daniels was a center at college and projected best to center in the NFL. Maybe his path took a year longer than expected, but if he physically matures, and can get on the same page as Justin Fields it could be for the better.
Sam Mustipher
Sam Mustipher finished 2020 with 553 snaps at center. He was the man on the Bears run to end the year, and with Cody Whitehair at guard and Mustipher at center, they figured out the run game. They could just add Daniels at right guard, and boom they have their group. He is young, on a cheap deal, and would be a nice compliment between Daniels and Whitehair who are bigger investments.
On the flip side, of his seven games, the best two were against Detroit and Houston. In fact, of his starts he faced NO, DET, HOU, GB, MIN, and JAX. His two worst performances were the two times the Chicago Bears played New Orleans.
His biggest issues come in pass pro and typically against quicker rushers. His floor is somewhat high, but the ceiling may be equally limited.