Bears May Move Chris Williams Back to Tackle

Bears may move Williams back to tackle

Former first-round pick played left guard last two seasons, but options are few

By Brad Biggs, Chicago Tribune reporter 8:43 p.m. CDT, May 14, 2012

The latest series of moves by the Bears leaves one spot remaining on the 90-man roster, and unless the team fills it with a veteran offensive tackle, the likely option will be to move Chris Williams back to his original position.

The 14th pick in the 2008 draft, Williams has made 20 starts the last two seasons at left guard — missing time in 2010 with a pulled hamstring and the final seven games last season with a wrist injury. But with last year's top pick Gabe Carimi still recovering from December surgery on his right knee, and with J'Marcus Webb the only other veteran, it appears the club has no alternative.

Williams has worked at tackle during the voluntary offseason program, according to one teammate, so the move already could be in the works. The club lists him at guard and tackle. On Monday, the Bears waived Levi Horn, a tackle who was on the practice squad the last two seasons, along with guard Reggie Stephens and tight end Andre Smith. Those cuts made room for the seven undrafted free agents signed after successful tryouts in rookie minicamp over the weekend.

The Bears have professed faith in Webb, who struggled at times last season at left tackle but is clearly atop the depth chart. The team is similarly confident Carimi will return to form as an emerging player, but he might not be ready for practice until June. Carimi played 11/2 games as a rookie before being injured.

After those two, there are only undrafted free agents in the mix — Troy's James Brown, who also was used at guard, Auburn's A.J. Greene and Tyler Hendrickson from Division II Concordia. The Bears haven't publicly identified a third tackle, a position manned last season by Frank Omiyale, who made three midseason starts before he was demoted.

There is ample depth at guard, where Williams has played since offensive line coach-turned-coordinator Mike Tice shifted him after his hamstring injury in 2010. Newly signed Chilo Rachal can compete with Chris Spencer, Lance Louis and Edwin Williams, creating a mix for training camp and preseason to determine starters.

The only other option for the Bears right now could be to consider Louis at tackle again. He started 11 games at right tackle last season, but Chris Williams has been the one spending time at tackle so far and the team has always maintained that Louis is best suited to the interior.

The upside is Williams must realize there is a lot at stake for him entering the final year of his contract. The Bears didn't have anyone to push the tackles last season with Omiyale as the third option. Webb has not played well enough to be handed the starting job again outright. At tackle, Williams could compete for that job and provide insurance for Carimi. In his first season starting in 2009, Williams played 11 games at right tackle.

At the minimum, Williams gives the Bears a third option, which they must have.

bmbiggs@tribune.com

Twitter @BradBiggs

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I know that we have been talking up this very topic as a definite possibility off and on for the past several days, but this is the first article I've seen in the Chicago Tribune that has mentioned this. At this juncture, can we really afford to not move Chris Williams to LT and use Webb as a swing tackle? We're desperately thin in depth at the position, with only Carimi, who was on injured reserve last season with a dislocated knee cap, and Webb, who has been only marginally better at blocking oncoming pass rushers than OMG. We didn't really address the OT position in either free agency or the draft since the picking were slim in both areas where a team can acquire a player. All that aside, we are still reeling from Jerry Angelo failing to acquire the services of Jermon Bushrod after the lockout last season to play LT for us, and it's coming back to haunt us now since we half literally no depth. Thankfully, Bushrod will be available again this coming off season, I do believe, as an UFA. Maybe Emery will take the hint and sign him, thus semi-permanently solving the problem of our shitty offensive line once and for all.

I voted no:

I still say to this day that Carimi (if recovered) should be over there. Cwill has just finished playing his best ball at LG. In no way do I believe that Webb is "more athletic" or has more football smarts at this point. Webb's development has been stunted by throwing him into the LT position. I would like (or have liked) to see Webb at RT for a few seasons.

With a recovered Carimi and Cwill on the left side I feel a whole lot better than perhaps any other combination. This way we have very athletic guards in Cwill and Louis plus some depth. I really can't believe to this day that a former outland trophy winner cannot even get a chance to compete for LT. I would think the kid is a fierce competitor and would want to play the best week in and week out.

I voted "yes", but not necessarily that CWill should automatically be moved to LT, but that he should be given a shot to win that spot. Although, I'm assuming that's what you meant to imply with this poll.

I voted yes, and here's why. We know that Carimi will never see the left side of the offensive line so long as Mike Tice is on this coaching staff. That would mean that the only logical person who could step out and perform at a high level at the position would be Chris Williams. Williams has proven that he can play the position, and anyone who dares say that he struggled mightily at LT is as full of shit as a Thanksgiving turkey. If suddenly one of our tackles goes down, what will we do? Tice is not going to move Carimi to left tackle; he honestly believes that Webb is a better talent at the position than is Carimi, which I find to be a crock of shit. That leaves no other alternative than to move Chris Williams to LT. We know that Lance Louis isn't a good tackle due to his inability to pass protect against double teams.

We seem to have the line's interior pretty well set based strictly on the excessive personnel that we have to choose from. My best guess is that if Chris Williams is moved to LT, Louis will be placed at LG and Chris Spencer, because of his high salary, will play RG. Garza, of course, will play C. Carimi will anchor the right side of the line "so sayeth the Lord Thy Tice." Whether that is a smart move or not remains to be seen.

I voted the way I did based on a realistic model that has been placed before us. It's pie in the sky to think that Carimi will ever play LT so long as Tice is with the Bears. However, I would not be surprised if Emery goes out and signs a free agent OT to come in for depth purposes so that we can keep Webb in at LT. If he does this, I might just cry and pitch a hissy fit like a little baby does when he or she loses his or her binky.

Before the "believe in Tice" argument comes up I would like to be even keel and objective here:

Number 1 yes I believe Tice is very good at what he does. I do believe that a few of his projects are coming to fruition.

Secondly, what is the likelyhood or probability that ALL of the projects will bear fruit. It really will only take ONE failure to impede this fledgling O line.

Lastly, as good or as great as someone is they CAN be proven wrong. Carimi could prove himself at LT despite what Tice says. Open competition for the spot.

It's interesting to note that even despite Tice belief in his line it seems there is a shift in support for Webb. Really, after the draft and all this NOW your doubting the LT? Jay said he hope Webb "pans out". Not the thing you should say to your LT in development. This alone indicates some type of change brewing.

If the line does well and Tice succeeds as OC chances are he will bolt for a HC job. If it falters you will hear that "oh he tried to make do". He really can't lose in this scenario. Plus he is OC and has probably regulated many of the line duties to Holt.

I really do believe the line will improve individually and with scheme. However the extent to which many believe it will is to me seemingly very improbable.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by short faced bear

Before the "believe in Tice" argument comes up I would like to be even keel and objective here:

Number 1 yes I believe Tice is very good at what he does. I do believe that a few of his projects are coming to fruition.

Secondly, what is the likelyhood or probability that ALL of the projects will bear fruit. It really will only take ONE failure to impede this fledgling O line.

Lastly, as good or as great as someone is they CAN be proven wrong. Carimi could prove himself at LT despite what Tice says. Open competition for the spot.

It's interesting to note that even despite Tice belief in his line it seems there is a shift in support for Webb. Really, after the draft and all this NOW your doubting the LT? Jay said he hope Webb "pans out". Not the thing you should say to your LT in development. This alone indicates some type of change brewing.

If the line does well and Tice succeeds as OC chances are he will bolt for a HC job. If it falters you will hear that "oh he tried to make do". He really can't lose in this scenario. Plus he is OC and has probably regulated many of the line duties to Holt.

I really do believe the line will improve individually and with scheme. However the extent to which many believe it will is to me seemingly very improbable.

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I agree with you on Carimi, and I'll take the football and run one step further by saying that I think he would make a solid NFL LT now, or at least be a better specimen of one than Webb currently is.

I also think it's interesting that the winds are starting to change within the dynamics surrounding the offense and the offensive line in particular. First, we hear directly from the horse's mouth (Cutler) that he just hopes that Webb "pans out," which you established, shorty. Now, we're hearing through the media that there is a strong possibility that Chris Williams could move over to LT to supplant Webb in order to create more depth at the OT position. It seems a little odd that we did next to nothing to address this issue in the off season at OT, but there again, as has been establish time and again, it was slim pickings as far as good talented OTs this year on the market.

I also will agree with you that Tice and the rest of the Bears' brass have too much faith in their own coaching abilities and in how they manipulate their personnel to fit the needs of the team. Tice is already looking for a head coaching position in the league; hell, he applied for the Oakland Raiders job this off season and was turned down. First, he needs to prove that he can completely turn this offense around and build the offensive line up into a successful entity. Second, he needs to maintain that status for a few seasons to see how his actions and coaching come to fruition. And finally, Tice needs to understand that if the offense and offensive line falter, as you say, he will have his ass sauteed by the powers that be, and that will be the end of his coaching career in Chicago at least.

The last thing I will say is that I agree that with the scheme change, this offense will improve. However, like you also said, a leopard is a leopard - it never sheds its stripes.

To me this a pretty simple yes. The Bears have a need for another OT and CWill is the only game in town. Unless a better option than him is released by his present team any help will need to come from within and moving Carimi as tempting as that may sound would still leave us one OT short. Lance Louis is not a starting caliber OT.

CWill has done well settling in at LG but here's what happens if you move Carimi instead. One, Carimi plays out of the position Tice feels will make him an NFL star. Two we either have to move Lance Louis back to RT or Webb plays RT so in one way or another we break up what looks like a great run blocking combo in Louis and Carimi on the tight side of the line. We end up back to that musical chairs approach to setting the line.

If we move CWill back to LT in preseason and he wins the spot we have Webb as a pretty decent swing tackle who has starting experince on both sides of the line and all we need to do is replace CWill at LG which given the sheer number of vet OG's we have on the roster shouldn't be all that difficult. If CWill doesn't win the LT spot out right we can still leave him at LG and we know he can handle that spot. That may still leave us in need of another OT to backup but Webb will be the starter.

The other reason is obvious. CWill was drafted to play LT and now with two years experience as a starter at LG and in the last years of his contract it's time to find out whether or not he can play LT. If this line doesn't gel across the board then next offseason it will be Emery's mission to rebuild it in the same manner that he's upgraded the offensive skill positions this offseason. We need to know which spots needs to be upgraded and if LT is one of them.

So it really isn't a matter of whether it's the best thing to do. Given what we have to work with it looks to me like the only thing to do.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by soulman

To me this a pretty simple yes. The Bears have a need for another OT and CWill is the only game in town. Unless a better option than him is released by his present team any help will need to come from within and moving Carimi as tempting as that may sound would still leave us one OT short. Lance Louis is not a starting caliber OT.

CWill has done well settling in at LG but here's what happens if you move Carimi instead. One, Carimi plays out of the position Tice feels will make him an NFL star. Two we either have to move Lance Louis back to RT or Webb plays RT so in one way or another we break up what looks like a great run blocking combo in Louis and Carimi on the tight side of the line. We end up back to that musical chairs approach to setting the line.

If we move CWill back to LT in preseason and he wins the spot we have Webb as a pretty decent swing tackle who has starting experince on both sides of the line and all we need to do is replace CWill at LG which given the sheer number of vet OG's we have on the roster shouldn't be all that difficult. If CWill doesn't win the LT spot out right we can still leave him at LG and we know he can handle that spot. That may still leave us in need of another OT to backup but Webb will be the starter.

The other reason is obvious. CWill was drafted to play LT and now with two years experience as a starter at LG and in the last years of his contract it's time to find out whether or not he can play LT. If this line doesn't gel across the board then next offseason it will be Emery's mission to rebuild it in the same manner that he's upgraded the offensive skill positions this offseason. We need to know which spots needs to be upgraded and if LT is one of them.

So it really isn't a matter of whether it's the best thing to do. Given what we have to work with it looks to me like the only thing to do.

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That's exactly right, soul. This is the only real option that the Bears have right now. If we do not act now and begin transferring Chris Williams over to LT so that Webb can be utilized on the depth chart as the "swing tackle", then we're up shit creek without a paddle. On top of that, you would be really two birds with one stone: on the one hand, you would be solving the depth issues at OT that are currently plaguing the team, while on the other hand you would be most likely making an upgrade at LT. It's a win-win proposition potentially.

Carimi will and should stay on the right side.

Give CWill another chance. If not, draft a LT next year in the 1st