4 players the Chicago Bears could claim to add depth to the offensive line
The Chicago Bears should consider claiming Greg Van Roten if he is waived
Wait, what? Could Ryan Poles take a different Buffalo Bills guard off the market? If Buffalo waives Greg Van Roten, Poles should definitely consider claiming him off waivers. He missed out on Ryan Bates after signing him to an offer sheet. Could “stealing” Van Roten even things out a bit? No. Bates is still the starting guard for the Bills and Van Roten is basically just another Michael Schofield. That said, would you rather have another Schofield-type player in Van Roten or would you rather trust yet another rookie?
Zach Thomas is a guy I think this franchise could sneak away onto their practice squad without any fear of him being poached. Having a veteran like Van Roten over Thomas should make all Chicago Bears fans feel more comfortable about the team. This isn’t saying that Ryan Poles made a poor choice in Thomas. Thomas just needs more time to grow and develop. He could be someone to push to make the final 53-man roster in 2023.
There is no guarantee that any of these four players are waived later today. The point here is that it is entirely plausible for Ryan Poles to add some depth to the roster in certain positions. The offensive line could definitely be one of the positions he targets.