While everything seems to be going well so far in the Chicago Bears' training camp, something special is brewing that no one is talking about.
All the focus has been on the defense showing improvement and quarterback Caleb Williams developing in Year 2 under Ben Johnson. There were questions about who would win the center position battle between Garrett Bradbury and rookie Logan Jones.
So far, it appears that Bradbury is taking firm command of the job and doing it well. He's got teammates talking about the smooth transition between him and former Pro Bowl center Drew Dalman.
"Well, I think we were all a little, you know, you don't know how it's going to go, especially when you lose somebody like Drew, who's kind of that captain of the offensive line there communication-wise," Bears tight end Cole Kmet said last week via CHGO. "But I mean, with Garrett, it really has been flawless so far. And I know we haven't had pads on from a physicality standpoint, but you talk about communication in the walkthroughs that we've had and in practice. Things have been really clear, concise, and I feel like when I've been out there, especially in the run game and the pass pro, things have been really clear. And I think we've had a great understanding with one another. So yeah, it's a good unit up front for sure."
Bears might have found the right man in Garrett Bradbury at center
It felt like such an impossible job to replace Dalman after having his only Pro Bowl season. His stunning retirement announcement really put the Bears in a bad spot.
Bradbury was just seen as a short-term solution to what could have been a big problem. Jones will be the long-term solution at the position when he is ready to play.
Last season, Bradbury started at center for the New England Patriots, helping them make the Super Bowl. In 642 pass-blocking snaps, He allowed 20 pressures and four quarterback hits.
Pro Football Focus graded him at 60.1, ranking 30th out of 40 centers in the NFL. He had a pass-blocking grade of 63.1 and a run-blocking grade of 56.2.
The first thing the Bears need to worry about is making sure whoever the starting center is can make all the correct calls at the line. Bradbury is passing that first test.
When it comes to Bradbury improving his skills, of course, the Bears fan base wants to see more of that, as he does need to get better at run blocking. Chicago shouldn't worry about that for the moment, as that will gradually improve as training camp rolls on.
Read more: Bears face 4 burning training camp questions that must be answered in Week 2
The Bears have plenty of time to make sure that everything goes according to plan at center, whether that's Bradbury or Jones. It looks, for the moment, like Bradbury has the job almost locked up and can handle everything Ben Johnson needs him to.
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