Is Bears Offensive Line Set?.................
Is Bears' offensive line set?
They have bodies slotted for all 5 spots, but could use another veteran
http://www.chicagotribune.com/media/...7/63282266.jpg Mike Tice watches his offensive line warm up. (Brian Cassella, Chicago Tribune / November 14, 2010)
By Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune reporter 5:16 p.m. CDT, July 16, 2011
Without another significant addition to their line, the Bears will have to hope an offense that allowed the most sacks in the NFL can improve substantially with a rookie first-round draft pick and no offseason.
That's the challenge offensive coordinator Mike Martz and line coach Mike Tice face if Gabe Carimi, their top pick from Wisconsin, is the only newcomer to the group.
With owners and players moving closer to an agreement most expect will come in a matter of days, a whirlwind free-agent period isn't far off. If rosters expand to 90 — as expected — the Bears will have to sign their five draft picks and add 36 more players to reach the limit.
A wide receiver may could top the team's shopping list but the offensive line figures in the mix. It's expected center Olin Kreutz will re-sign because the Bears don't have any other options and he has been clear he wants to stay. At the same time, he will be an unrestricted free agent for the first time since 2002 so the Bears created extra work in neglecting to sign him previously.
The plan will be to get Carimi up to speed quickly at one tackle spot and continue to develop Tice project J'Marcus Webb, who made 14 starts last season. If Carimi and Webb click, the club will have a pair of young tackles they haven't had for an awful long time. If not, Frank Omiyale and former first-round pick Chris Williams are around.
Under that scenario, they Bears could look for a veteran free agent guard. Roberto Garza, entering the final year of his contract, appears entrenched on the right side after returning strong from arthroscopic knee surgery during the season.
"When Garza came back, it allowed us to run the ball," Martz told the Associated Press last week. "That whole side got established."
Williams figures to be the starting left guard and he should be improved after changing positions on the fly when a hamstring injury knocked him out of the left tackle equation. A full offseason would have helped him tremendously.
A fair number of experienced interior linemen will be on the market. Both Falcons guards, Justin Blalock and Harvey Dahl are unrestricted and Atlanta also must try to re-sign right tackle Tyson Clabo. One of the three could get away. The Ravens' Marshal Yanda is considered a strong player but getting teammate Chris Chester might be more realistic. While Chester might not be as big and skilled as Yanda, he has experience playing center and that would be a plus for a club that hasn't had a true backup there for a decade.
The Packers' Daryn Colledge also will be on the market and can play multiple positions. The Cowboys' Kyle Kosier is another option.
Count on the Bears finding a good number of undrafted college free agents, a pool with which Tice has had success in the past. Adding some young players to a mix that includes Lance Louis, Edwin Williams, Levi Horn, Johan Asiata and Herman Johnson would provide options. Then, the Bears would hope a couple of them can catch on quickly.
But without a veteran newcomer, the Bears will be relying on Carimi and some fast-paced coaching to reduce the 52 sacks Jay Cutler took in 2010. They certainly have been down the path before without doing a lot to address the line.
bmbiggs@tribune.com
Twitter @BradBiggs
