Chicago Bears: Offensive Line End of the Year Evaluations

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 01-11-2013, 02:37 PM

What do you guys think are your OL grades for each player?

LINK to the article

Chicago Bears: Offensive Line End of the Year Evaluations

J’Marcus Webb

After being public enemy number one by Bears fans the past couple seasons, Webb overall had an okay season for the Bears at left tackle. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), Webb graded out as the 44th best OT. He gave up seven sacks (tied for 11th); five quarterback hits (tied for 39th), and 29 QB hurries (ranked 19th), not great numbers but also not terrible.
2012 Grade: C

2013 Outlook: The next Bears head coach will have a three-year simple size of what he has in Webb. Webb proved to not be terrible this season, but bottom line he’s not an NFL starting LT. At right tackle however, Webb has the tools to become a solid starter. He’s a good run blocker and has developed into a serviceable pass blocker. I expect the Bears to be in the market for a LT in the off-season and Webb to be in competition for the RT job in training camp.

Gabe Carimi

Carimi had a rough off-season practicing through his surgically repaired knee, and the struggle carried on into the season. Carimi was by far the worst player on the offensive line this year. At RT, Carimi was very limited on the knee to the point his technique broke down. PPF rated Carimi the fourth worst OT in all of football; giving up seven sacks, nine QB hits, and 30 hurries. When Carimi got benched, he somehow found his way at right guard where he was just as bad.
2012 Grade: D-

2013 Outlook: To give Carimi the benefit of the doubt, he was playing on a knee that wasn’t at full strength for most of the season. Carimi will have a full off-season to get some more strength in that knee and also get stronger in the upper body. Carimi will more than likely see himself fighting for the RT starting job in training camp. If Carimi can get back to his 2011 Outland Trophy winner form, the Bears will be set at the RT position in 2013.

Jonathan Scott

Scott was a street free agent, who the Bears signed before the first game of the season. Scott started eight games for the Bears at RT and graded out as the 65 best OT in the NFL by PFF.
2012 Grade: C-

2013 Outlook: Despite PPF’s negative grade on Scott, general manager Phil Emery is high on the veteran and it looks like he will be brought back on the roster to compete for the starting job at RT.

James Brown

Brown was elevated to the practice squad after Chilo Rachal walked away from the team. The undrafted free agent started at left guard in the Bears final four games of the season.
2012 Grade: C+

2013 Outlook: The coaches didn’t know what Brown’s true position in the NFL was, but it looks like he has found a home at LG. After two consecutive rocky games, Brown finished the last two games of the season strong against some good defensive lines in the Arizona Cardinals and Detroit Lions. Brown should get a shot at the starting LG spot in 2013, and if the Bears move to a zone-blocking scheme, look for him to have a breakout season.

Lance Louis

Louis was having a breakout season for the Bears at right guard before his season ended after suffering a torn ACL.
2012 Grade: B+

2013 Outlook: Louis is a free agent after this season and he was hands down the Bears best OL throughout the year. Phil Emery could bring Louis back on a one-year deal to see how his knee responds. PFF didn’t think too highly of Louis run blocking this season (-8.0), but according to them, Louis stood out better in pass protection. Louis wasn’t much of an ideal fit for offensive coordinator Mike Tice power blocking scheme; he like Brown is more of a zone-blocking offensive guard that’s effective getting out on the edge. The Bears can get the best out of Louis if they switch to that blocking scheme.

Roberto Garza

Out of the 32 starting centers in the NFL, Roberto Garza was ranked 30th by the people at PFF.
2012 Grade: C-

2013 Outlook: While Garza isn’t terrible, the Bears can do much better at the position. He’s a serviceable pass blocker at best and has declined over the years as a run blocker. Emery remains a supporter of Garza and there’s a strong chance that he will be the team’s starting center in 2013.

Chris Spencer

Spencer was benched after a poor performance against the Green Bay Packers in week two. He was inserted back into the starting line-up when Louis suffered a season-ending injury.
2012 Grade: D

2013 Outlook: Spencer is a free agent after this season, and I don’t see the Bears bringing him back.

Edwin Williams

Williams saw action at LG when Spencer went down to an injury in the week 12 match-up against the Minnesota Vikings.
2012 Grade: D

2013 Outlook: Williams and Spencer are Tice guys that fit his system. With Tice likely being shown the door once the new head coach arrives, these guys are likely to follow suit.

**bearsinhouston** · 01-11-2013, 02:48 PM

Tice likely being shown the door?

Who is going to be the staff guru? We are going to need a guru.

**JustAnotherBearsFan99** · 01-11-2013, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by bearsinhouston

Tice likely being shown the door?

Who is going to be the staff guru? We are going to need a guru.

No guru. Apparently, all we get is a half empty bag of Tice's pixie dust, and a few half-eaten Taco's that Webb left in his locker (the tacos look about as bad as some of the oline players we have left on the roster).

**short faced bear** · 01-11-2013, 03:01 PM

Webb D+ (without supreme help F-)
Rachal D (crazy with a F)
Garza D (fading and zero push in the run game)
Louis B (hard to compare w/all the bums but still best on the line)
Carimi incomplete (should have been slowly brought along Tice jeopardized his career)
Spencer D- at LG (at RG C-)
Scott D
Brown D
E Will C (might as well replace Garza or spot him reps until new C is found)
Cwill B (and still laughing)

Draft and FA and don't ever stop. Grade Tices guru moves and they're ALL a big fat F

**Boochee Man** · 01-11-2013, 03:07 PM

These grades were right on. Carimi played like a bust. Webb was decent, contrary to what most bears fans want to believe, and easily outplayed our first round pick.

**mdbearz** · 01-11-2013, 04:36 PM

Louis, Carimi, Brown, and Webb should all be back.

I would like to see a legit LT, get a Center in the draft and then the looks like FA, Louis, Garza/Draftpick, Brown, Webb/Carimi.

Shanahan has deployed a zone blocking scheme for years and he plugs in ANY RB and they become a superstar. He did it in Denver and he has done it in Washington.

I hope the new HC and OC deploys a zone blocking scheme might help us.

I think Tice has too big of an ego to think that he can simply take a big guy and teach him up and then play a power type offensive line.

The reality is that there are too many talented Defensive Lines out there to think that your guy is going to be able to win 1 on1, I think Tices tenure has proven that.

Plus we need some talent. I think a legit LT and a Center will get us over the hump to being an average O-line, then give them a zone blocking scheme.

Damn i should be the GM.

**MPBears68** · 01-11-2013, 04:47 PM

Webb: His stats and grade were overly generous considering the amount of TE/chip help he constantly needed. Improved but not enough to start at LT again. Move him over to compete at RT and most likely slide down to the swing tackle spot.

Scott: Worth a shot to compete as above. Thought he was decent.

Carimi: Had a terrible year but I'm giving him a bit of a pass due to lingering injury/surgery effects. He competes next year at RT with the Scott/Webb. If he flops again (and he's NOT a guard ever), then he will probably be the correct answer to this Bears trivia question going forward....'Who was JA's last draft bust?' I hope not.

Louis: The man at RG and the only above average lineman we had. Fingers crossed he comes back strong. Garza can back him up.

Garza: Slipping noticeably from '11 to '12. If we draft Barrett Jones, he slides down to backup C/G. If we draft a G, maybe he hangs on one more year at C. I would strongly prefer the former.

Brown: Thought he has potential given that he was an udfa rookie thrown into the Tice OL circus. Can compete at LG but not sure he's ready to start yet. Big bonus if he is.

Spencer/Rachal/EWilliams: Goners. Nothing to see here. The only one I'd consider is Rachal at OG and he probably won't get a shot due to his mental issues.

LT: Need a FA here as priority #1 this offseason

Tice: Epic Fail as an OC and OL personnel manager. Automatic pink slip IMO.

It sounds like we could/should move to a zone blocking scheme next year (100% chance if Dennison is brought on board) given what talent we actually do still have.

**short faced bear** · 01-11-2013, 04:51 PM

Originally Posted by MPBears68

It sounds like we could/should move to a zone blocking scheme next year (100% chance if Dennison is brought on board) given what talent we actually do still have.

From the mailbag

Interesting thought. I wouldn't rule it out. Especially if Emery were to settle on Texans offensive coordinator Rick Dennison. But if you did make the switch, you might need more offensive linemen than you would otherwise. The good thing is it's easier to find blockers for a zone scheme than it is blockers for a man scheme because of supply and demand. There are way more teams that use a man scheme. There also is this to consider: NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has made it clear the league is thinking about making chop blocks on running plays illegal. The backside chop is a staple of zone blocking teams, and could affect their running games significantly.

**Grizzblue** · 01-11-2013, 05:20 PM

I think these ratings are skewed it only factors in pass pro with this said...

Webb C- he got babyed but was OK
Spencer F. He is just bad, we've tried and failed on this guy numerous times, time to move on
Garza D+. Rapidly declining, the lack of mid run game falls partly on him
Louis A- real solid up until the acl injury
Carimi D the knee showed, hope he can bounce back

Others

Brown- B- I'd say he looked promising, not a ton to go on

Scott C- ehh did alright, vet guy tho with no higher ceiling

**weneedmorelinemen** · 01-12-2013, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by short faced bear

Webb D+ (without supreme help F-)
Rachal D (crazy with a F)
Garza D (fading and zero push in the run game)
Louis B (hard to compare w/all the bums but still best on the line)
Carimi incomplete (should have been slowly brought along Tice jeopardized his career)
Spencer D- at LG (at RG C-)
Scott D
Brown D
E Will C (might as well replace Garza or spot him reps until new C is found)
Cwill B (and still laughing)

Draft and FA and don't ever stop. Grade Tices guru moves and they're ALL a big fat F

Edwin Williams is not a C, and certainly not to be considered a possible starter at center. He's just another body that can keep moving on.

Just making sure, but the Chris Williams gets a B thing is a joke, right? Sometimes I can't tell.

Man, just looking at the guys we had on our roster, who do we really need to keep for continuity? Louis on a one year deal to see if he can finish a season. I guess Garza stays, and that's a big maybe depending on what FA are available for replacement. Carimi to see if his lack of strength was due to the number of operations he had. Webb? I don't think I need to see more, but for his final year on his rookie deal would be depth and comic relief if anything.

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