The Chicago Bears will need offensive line help in free agency. One name that fans should keep an eye on is Wes Schweitzer. Schweitzer will be entering his eighth NFL season, and the reason the team may be tied to him goes back to his first season.
Should Chicago Bears sign Wes Scweitzer in free agency?
The Atlanta Falcons drafted Wes Schweitzer in the sixth round of the 2016 NFL draft. At that time Chris Morgan was the Falcons' offensive line coach. Now, he is the Chicago Bears' offensive line coach.
There is obviously a connection, and beyond that Schweitzer flourished in Atlanta. He did not start as a sixth-round rookie, but started 36 games over the following three seasons. What is interesting to note is that he played right guard in 2017, but played left guard in 2018 and 2019.
In 2020, he signed with the Washington Commanders and had his best season. The Commanders wound up making the playoffs and he was great, mainly at left guard. In 2021, he dealt with injuries and moved to right guard. He only started in five games but was solid when he was active.
Last season unfortunately saw him suffer a concussion in week three. He did return to the lineup until week 13. When he did, he was playing center.
So, Schweitzer will be 30 this season, but offensive linemen play much further into their career than speed players like a wide receiver, and cornerback. The team can still get a lot of play out of him.
Beyond that, he has a lot of starting experience. He has 2,201 snaps at left guard, 1,979 at right guard, and 430 at center. He has been suffering from injuries the past two seasons, but he finished the 2022 season healthy and on a strong note. Beyond that, his return to center has to have the team even more intrigued.
Wes Schweitzer is a plug-and-play interior lineman. It is not some sexy signing that will get fans excited, but he is a solid starter, and that is what the team needs. The connection to Chris Morgan shows that Morgan sees him as the type of player to invest in, and Schweitzer used his coaching to go from a sixth-round pick to an eight-year NFL career with seven seasons locked in as a starter.
The Bears have a need at center and left guard, and he has performed well in both spots over the past three seasons. This makes a lot of sense and should be something that Ryan Poles and his crew are consider.