USA Today
Braxton Jones Makes a Rookie Statement
Of all the Bears rookies, Braxton Jones has been the biggest surprise.
He's been good enough to make it unclear whether they need an upgrade in free agency, even though they have $115 million for free agency and can afford one.
"The maturity level, No. 1, for a rookie to be able to play that tackle position the entire year and his ability to run block, pass block," Bears coach Matt Eberflus said of Jones' performance. "Does he need to improve? Sure. All the rookies need to improve. Everyone needs to get better.
"But he's improving. He's getting better. He's showing his maturity."
Using PFF's system because it is easily the best independent grading for offensive linemen, Jones has a 74.0 grade on the year. It puts him 20th among tackles, left side or right side. So that's basically right around top 10 at his position.
Jones' game Sunday was typical. He had the highest grade of all Bears linemen (78.3), including 79.3 pass blocking. It's pass blocking where he had been weaker this year. But he had high marks either way. He had 75.2 as a run blocker.
He has allowed 33 pressures this year, which sounds like a lot. It isn't ideal, but consider this: The top left tackle in the marketplace for 2023 free agency according to PFF is Kansas City left tackle Orlando Brown, who has allowed 39 pressures.
Brown is a player who logically could have been of interest to the Bears, partly because of his Kansas City ties and GM Ryan Poles' past with the Chiefs. However, he's graded well behind Jones at 35th overall, and far worse as a run blocker. The Bears, after all, have a run-oriented offense.
It's far better to have a fifth-round draft pick who is on his first contract playing left tackle and doing it well enough to stay there than it is to pay gobs of cash for a free agent left tackle who, during a contract year, is having trouble producing better than the Bears rookie.
The answer might be somewhere in between, like signing a mid-level free agent to be a swing tackle in case Jones doesn't continue to improve, or just keeping Riley Reiff around as a swing tackle with Alex Leatherwood.
The truth is, if Jones merely maintains his rookie level next year, he wouldn't need to improve much, if at all. The natural progression from experience could take care of this.
The Bears could focus most of their money in free agency instead on receiver or the defensive line.
They have real problems in both groups they need to resolve, and those are far more cut and dried than the issue at left tackle looks to be thanks to Jones.
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