Offseason battles Chicago Bears fans should keep an eye on

The Chicago Bears still have uncertainty on the offensive line

Now, let us take a look at the other position on offense that is up in the air. Rather than go position by position on the offensive line, I am just going to look at the group as a whole.

Center

The one position I have no doubt in my mind that is locked up on the offensive line is the center position. Newcomer, Lucas Patrick is now going to be the starting center for the Bears after starting for a large portion of 2021 for the Packers. Patrick was thrust into the starting role due to an injury to Josh Meyers. He is an immediate upgrade over Sam Mustipher.

Left Guard

The left guard position is likely locked into place as well with Cody Whitehair. Whitehair has seen a decline in his play over the last couple of years as he’s been moved around from center to both guard spots and back again. He’s also seen the guys playing next to him come and go and that is not easy to deal with. That said, Whitehair is a serviceable starting guard in the NFL and no one is going to supplant him this season.

Right Guard

This spot is wide open. There are plenty of scenarios that could play out. Larry Borom could be pushed into the right guard spot. He has been taking starting snaps at left tackle though and without an insurance policy in place, Borom is likely the best LT option. I’m not thrilled about that, but with the upgrades at other spots, the hope is that Borom can continue to develop.

As of now, Sam Mustipher is seeing the most starting action here and that needs to stop. I am hopeful we see a rookie push his way into the starting right guard spot. This is the main battle to watch on the offensive line as Ja’Tyre Carter, Doug Kramer, Zach Thomas and Willie Wright all push to earn that spot. Notice I didn’t put Dakota Dozier — this guy should just be cut now in my opinion.

Left Tackle

We already talked about Larry Borom being here. Due to the lack of competition at the position, I think he will be the starting left tackle unless rookie, Braxton Jones can force his way into starting. Jones is a guy that I am very intrigued about and I think has the ability to supplant Borom, just not to start the year — unless they decide Jones at left tackle and Borom at right guard makes more sense.

Right Tackle

There is also the talk about Teven Jenkins possibly starting at left tackle with Larry Borom starting at right tackle. I think the coaching staff is doing it right with Jenkins lined up on the right side and I hope they decide to just leave it this way. Jenkins will be a beast on the right side and the guy you can hopefully count on for 10-plus years.

To recap: The right guard spot is the biggest battle to watch, but we should also be paying close attention to the left tackle battle as well.