On Wednesday, the Chicago Bears added depth to their offensive line when the team agreed to a one-year deal with Matt Pryor.
The Bears are signing veteran OL Matt Pryor to a one-year deal, a source tells me and @kfishbain. He spent last season with the 49ers and overlapped with Matt Eberflus with the Colts in 2021.
— Adam Jahns (@adamjahns) March 13, 2024
Pryor was selected in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL Draft by the Philadelphia Eagles. Most recently, Pryor spent the 2023 season with the San Francisco 49ers. Pryor has experienced at both the guard and tackle positions.
Unlike the trade for center Ryan Bates, it would seem unlikely that Pryor is under consideration for a starting job along the Bears' offensive line. On a good offensive line, Pryor probably is closer to the bottom of the depth chart than he is to the top.
It's possible that the Bears view Pryor as an upgrade over Dan Feeney as a depth piece for the offensive line. Feeney was acquired by the Bears in a Pre-Season trade with the Miami Dolphins last summer but struggled when called upon to be the team's center. Ja'Tyre Carter is another player who could be impacted by Pryor's arrival.
The Bears' lack of emphasis on the offensive line during the initial days of Free Agency could be tipping their hand for their draft priorities.
The left tackle position and center are two spots where the Bears were expected to be in search of an upgrade but have yet to address. While the Bears have not officially confirmed what the plan is for Bates, the belief is he will be in the mix to be the team's starting center once Training Camp. While Ryan Poles has often praised Braxton Jones' work as the team's starting left tackle, it's been speculated the team could look to bolster the position as a way to provide as much support as possible for a rookie quarterback.