The Bears OL by the Numbers

The Chicago Bears OL is clearly a weakness and needs to be addressed in the offseason, despite the fact that Jerry Angelo does not want to do it.

The Chicago Bears OL Stats

Rushing Average: 3.9 Yards [24th in the NFL]

Sacks Allowed: 56 [32nd in the NFL]

QB Hits: 92 [26th in the NFL]

OL Breakdown

LT Frank Omiyale: He improved over the season and does not look totally embarrassing as he did at the LG position. Omiyale is solid when asked to 1 on 1 pass block a DE. He absolutely shut down Jared Allen in both Vikings games. Omiyale struggles at least once a game with elite speed, but he is not the biggest problem on the line. I do believe that Omiyale is learning disabled as he cannot pick up the most simple blitzes.

Worth keeping and starting somewhere along the line and will need to remain at LT until we have a suitable replacement.

LG Chris Williams: The musicals chairs that the Bears have played with Williams career has pretty much ruined it. Williams plays way to high and way to soft to pay LG and consistently is the culprit when a run play does not work. In pass protection he looks lost and his feet are way to soft and happy to be playing OG.

He is probably done, but should be kept and add competition at LT and I am not expecting much.

C Olin Kreutz: Kreutz is like the old car you drove in high school, you love it and there are great memories, but it does not drive anymore. Kreutz spends a ton of time on the ground and provides very little push in the run game. He still provides leadership and makes the line calls, but physically he is holding us back from being a more efficient OL.

I let him walk, but if he comes back cheap as a backup and provides depth I am all for it.

RG Roberto Garza: He has played better than I have given him credit for in the past. Garza is solid in the run game and gets some push, in comparison to Williams and Kreutz. Garza is weak in the pass game and is exposed by better DTs, but he is the least to worry about on the OL.

He should be moved to center, where he has backed up, where he will not be exposed by the better DTs.

RT: J'Marcus Webb: He has been more up and down then any player on the Bears. He has plays when he is exceptional and shows all of the skills that Tice and the Bears love. On the very next play he is getting blown by or completely missing a blitz. Webb has potential and should have never been starting, but has done an average job of filling in.

Worth keeping around, but should have competition for the spot next offseason. Webb has talent and an offseason could make him a lot better.

OG Lance Louis: The fact that he cannot start on this OL concerns me, but he has physical talent and is cheap so worth keeping around.

OG/C Edwin Williams: He showed enough in his spot duty and should be kept around into the offseason as a potential C.

OT Kevin Shaffer: Next Question.

Nice analysis and I agree for the most part.

Kreutz's best football is behind him and Garza isn't getting any younger either.

Webb has the size and athleticism to be a mainstay at RT and maybe even a solid LT in time. He's just young, but I like what he could become.

Omiyale has been fairly reliable this year, especially in the second half of the season, but he's not the answer at LT.

Williams is so frustrating...he has the ability, but like you said, he's soft as Charmin and always seems to get his feet tangled up in pass pro.

I'd love to see us bolster the OL through free agency and take Mike Pouncey in the first round...he's a natural guard but played exclusively at center this past year and he's every bit as good as his brother.

I should have known to stop here.

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He improved over the season and does not look totally embarrassing

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Omiyale fucking sucks and gets shit on WAY too consistently. I don't call 5 hurries and 1.5 sacks in one game a sign in improving. Let's just face it, statistically, he is the second worst tackle in the league, not just LT, but among ALL starting tackles. His game tape doesn't do him any favors either.

Meanwhile you say CWill sucks in the run when he sprung one big run on a seal inside on a 14 yard gain (exhibit a) along with another where he took on a LB upfield after cleaning up a chip, creating a gaping hole on the left side of the field for a 25 yard run (exhibit b). Yeah, he shared a sack with Olin, and it was plain bad, but he wasn't playing on the edge that gave up double digits in hurries and he is getting better by the game. Show me a play where he got "happy feet" in pass pro and I'll show you a dozen where he picked up his assignment and cleaned it up quickly. FWIW, he's also unquestionably our best LT, too.

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Originally Posted by KML

Nice analysis and I agree for the most part.

Kreutz's best football is behind him and Garza isn't getting any younger either.

Webb has the size and athleticism to be a mainstay at RT and maybe even a solid LT in time. He's just young, but I like what he could become.

Omiyale has been fairly reliable this year, especially in the second half of the season, but he's not the answer at LT.

Williams is so frustrating...he has the ability, but like you said, he's soft as Charmin and always seems to get his feet tangled up in pass pro.

I'd love to see us bolster the OL through free agency and take Mike Pouncey in the first round...he's a natural guard but played exclusively at center this past year and he's every bit as good as his brother.

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Mike Pouncey would be a nice pick up in the first round if we can get him. If not, I want a big body WR in the first round to help solidify our receiving corps. There just aren't that many offensive linemen that get picked in the 1st Round, unless they go high.

Chris Williams
I thought Chris Williams was quite good run blocking at RT last season once he got healthy, I remember him really driving some guys back in the red zone..and don't remember him having major problems pass-protecting, tho Orlando Pace did at LT.

Chris had major problems at LT in pre-season, getting killed by Kamerion Wimbley...However, you gotta remember - Chris basically sat out his rookie year with injuries, and a lot of his 2nd year too. When he came back in his 2nd year he was playing on the right side. Those pre-season games were his real first taste at playing LT in the NFL, and it's pre-season so not a huge deal. Going into pre-season he didn't have much more experience than a rookie.

After that he was only healthy for the first 2 regular season games if I remember correctly - week 1 against the Lions, and week 2 against the Cowboys he was injured early. I don't recall Williams being that bad in those games, will have to go back and watch the tape. He struggled against Demarcus Ware at first, but so did Omiyale and then he basically shut him out the rest of the game. Williams wasn't in the game a long time so didn't have that much of a chance to get a feel for Ware.

The starting lineup in week 1 & 2 was:
Williams Garza Kreutz Louis Omiyale

After Williams was injured, the line was reshuffled in the middle of the Cowboys game to:

Omiyale Garza Kreutz Louis Shaffer

And was that way against the Packers.

Then Garza was injured, so Edwin Williams came in for a couple of games against the Giants then Panthers.

Then somewhere along the way Shaffer was benched for Webb.

Then sometime after that Chris came back at LG to fill in for Garza, and Edwin was out.

So, why put Williams at guard instead of back at LT or at RT?
Is it because Williams it a bust - is Webb is better at RT than Williams? NO!
Because Omiyale is better at LT than Williams? NO!

Why not put Williams at RT and take out Webb? Why not put Williams back at LT and put Omiyale back to RT?

Answer: Because THE GUARDS SUCK. Tice would rather have Webb at RT than have Edwin OR Louis playing guard. Garza was injured, Louis was playing RG, and the next guy was Edwin Williams a nobody. I don't know if you guys remember last year, but Omiyale SUCKED BIG TIME at guard. Webb is obviously not a guard. So the best combination, to have the 5 best players on the field, was to shift Williams to guard.

Chris Williams wasn't moved to guard because he sucked at tackle.

I don't think Williams is a top LT or RT, "elite", or has lived up at all to what you'd expect from a 1st round pick, but he's been held back by injuries in his first 2 years, and this year moved to guard because Angelo doesn't give a shit about OL and it's come back to bite him...

Next season, I see the Bears drafting or finding in FA a guard or TWO - Chris Williams will then hold down one tackle position and Omiyale and Webb will compete for the other. Unfortunately Williams will basically be at a rookie level again when it comes to playing LT, but I'm sure he's still learning a little by playing at LG.

JUST DON'T WRITE HIM OFF YET.

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Jamarcus Webb
A lot of people are hating on Webb, but what can you expect from him? He's a 7th round pick and very raw, but has made a lot of progress since he first started. You can't write him off yet.. I see him continuing to improve and competing with Omiyale for a tackle position opposite Williams next season.

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2011-2012 Bears offensive line:
LT: C. Williams
LG: Pouncey (draft)/Wisniewski (draft)/Mankins (FA)/any other FAs
C: Kreutz/Wisniewski (draft)/Kalil (FA)
RG: Garza
RT: Omiyale/Webb

Priority #1: Guard
#2: Centre

Depending on how the combine goes, IF the Bears can get Pouncey or Wisnewki in the 1st round they have to take one. I don't see any other interior linemen worth the 1st round pick though. So if they aren't available, I pray that the Bears find a veteran in FA like Mankins, Dahl, or Kalil. And take either Drake Nevis if he's available, or Michael Floyd/Jonathan Baldwin/Julio Jones if any are there.

If they can't get a guy with the 1st pick, or anyone in FA, hell even the guards that will be available in the 2nd round will be an improvement over Lance Louis and Edwin Williams.

LOL, considering Kruetz's name was mentioned all year as a pro bowl candidate, and the guy came up just shy of beating out O'hara from NY for a roster spot, I'd say you need to re-evaluate your game tape.

Williams has looked Ugly at guard, but he looks as good as they get when he pulls. I think he's still capable of being a pro bowl linemen (So long as Tice sticks around)
Omiyale has hit his ceiling. I'd like to see us replace him as a starter, and keep him on as a backup.
Kruetz had an amazing year littered with few really bad plays, but still considered among his peers to be one of the best in the buisness. (ask a player or coach, NOT the media or the Fans)
I'd pretty much agree with you on Garza.
as for Webb. he's a 7th rounder who got the "baptism by fire". if there was a better option I'm sure Tice would have gone with it, and let Webb get a year under his belt before sending him to the front lines.

So basically I wouldn't disagree too much windy, save for Kruetz.

I would be very interested in HOW the transition will occur:
Draft a LT does he learn on the job or do you shift Cwill over for a few games.
Omiyale for what they spent can't see him relegated to the bench but needs to be
Still neeed to draft a LG. Garza isn't getting any younger at RG either
Perhaps E Williams can be the interim C as we then draft another center (Pouncey, Wisnewski etc)
Kreutz may have tightened his game a bit but to keep him another year would mean you'll see him more often on his fanny than not.

I'm with those that think Omiyale is awful at LT. He's a joke there. The guy has his body turned after one kick. His technique is sloppy. He obviously has no confidence in his ability to stay with a speed rusher with the way he turns his body so quickly. He gets an 'F' in my book. I have no idea what people are watching when he gets a pass. I don't think they have any idea what they're watching either.

And CW should have a real shot at LT next season. It's a joke that he's not there now.

I'm not going to get into a player by player evaluation. That's already been done by Windy. What I will add is that offensive lineman should be the Bears highest priority in the offseason. If we can't sign a top notch FA to play OG then it needs to be the first item addressed in the draft. Pouncey would be a great pick owing to the fact that he could begin his career at OG then move to C when Olin finally hangs it up.

Since Pouncey would undoubtedly need to be our first round pick (if available) I'd like to see us go after an OT next. Two that come to mind immediately are Nate Solder from CU and Gabe Carimi from Wisconsin. Both are ranked as 2nd rounders from what I've been reading but we may have to move up to get one of them.

Williams has been ok at LG in my opinion and if he continues to play at that spot, and with Tice's coaching he may become much better. He can also move out to LT if we can find a way to get Omiyale out of the starting lineup. In my opinion the just doesn't cut it. He may hold his own against the "bull rushers" but he can't handle speed and he makes too many mistakes from what I've seen.

If we could pick up a guy like Mankins in FA and then draft Pouncey as our C in waiting and then also pick up a big OT in the 2nd round I'd say that we'd gone a long way toward providing Tice with the tools he needs to turn this line around in just one season. Let's face it, the Oline has been a patchwork quilt for far too long and it needs to be addressed now.

We have a QB who's got the tools to be a perennial all-pro, a very talented and versatile RB in Forte, and decent enough talent in the receiving core to be a top notch Super-Bowl contender. Fix the line and get Forte the holes to run through and Cutler the protection he needs and we have a offensive that will easily rival our defense in terms of performance.

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Originally Posted by WindyCity

OT Kevin Shaffer: Next Question.

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Shaffer is definitely a better RT than Webb IMO.