Bears Rehab Project for Offensive Line
By all common NFL measurements, Alex Leatherwood is a draft bust.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus is all about fresh starts, though, and even busts deserve another chance. The Raiders cut the 17th pick of the 2021 draft and the Bears were there to scoop him up, along with five other waiver wire acquisitions including former Vikings defensive tackle Armon Watts.
"We studied him on tape, we looked at him," Eberflus said of Leatherwood. "Some guys have been with him, some guys that were in Vegas last year. We have a couple coaches on our staff.
"Of course, I know coach (Rod) Marinelli as a resource. We've got nothing but good reports and we're excited to have him and we'll see where he goes from here."
Inside knowledge of Leatherwood comes from Bears offensive line assistant Austin King, who was on the Raiders staff for five years. Bears tight ends coach Jim Dray was on the staff in Las Vegas last year, a staff that had Marinelli on it, who has been influential in Eberflus' career.
The real decision now is where Leatherwood plays first because he initially played tackle and then got moved to guard after washing out.
"It's a clean slate, it's a fresh start from him and we'll see where we start him at," Eberflus said. "We're not going to disclose that right now. Still working with the coaches on that. But it's a clean slate and a fresh start for him."
Leatherwood came out of Alabama and had been regarded as a third-round pick by many draft analysts. The Raiders were roundly criticized for reaching when they selected him at No. 17 in Round 1 of the draft when the Bears later selected Teven Jenkins.
Now it could be Jenkins or possibly even Braxton Jones or Larry Borom who will need to fend off Leatherwood once he has learned the offense sufficiently to play.
"One of the things when you look at him that stands out would be, No. 1, his run blocking," Eberflus said. "His run blocking is really good.
"He's got good balance when it comes to that. He stays on guys. That's what we like about him the most right now. He's got to develop his game. He's a young player and we've got some really good coaches to help him. Chris Morgan is one of the best line coaches in the NFL. We're excited to have those guys paired up together."
Watts is a player the Bears could use for depth on a defensive line that needs as many rush men as possible.
"Yeah, just an athlete," Eberflus said. "He's an athlete that stays on his feet. He's got really good rush ability, which is what we're looking for in there, but he's also got anchor to stay in there and anchor the point.
"He's a really good addition and we're excited to get him and we're excited to work with him and his pass rush–even to get better and learn our style. He's played in similar styles to ours, so it won't be a big conversion for him."
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