Bear Digest

Best budding Bears offseason drama still has time for a fun twist

Analysis: The Bears offensive line has begun asserting itself, including left tackle Theo Benedet, but he's going to need to be even more convincing down the stretch.
Gene Chamberlain|
Theo Benedet has faced plenty of challenges in his stint as Bears left tackle starter and his continued improvement can by huge for the Bears going forward.
Theo Benedet has faced plenty of challenges in his stint as Bears left tackle starter and his continued improvement can by huge for the Bears going forward. | Chicago Bears On SI Photo: Chicago Bears Video

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The Bears offensive line now seems to be gaining its stride. All of their rushing yardage can't be blamed entirely on poor opposition, like some would have you believe.

When they've risen from 25th in yards per run to third now at 5.0 yards per attempt and their sacks allowed per game have dropped to third best average at 1.6, it's not poor opposition. This is the same team that allowed 68 sacks last year.

So whether you believe they're one of the best lines or not, they definitely are better. Even analytics point to the Chicago line as elite. They rank second in ESPN pass-block win rate as a line and fourth in run-block win rate.

It would seem their offensive line is set for the future, and playing together at a high level, although facing some playoff-caliber teams in the future like Philadelphia, Detroit, San Francisco and Green Bay could turn the momentum.

A spot with the greatest degree of uncertainty each week and into the future remains one of the Bears' most important positions. That's left tackle, protecting Caleb Williams' blind side.

Remember what Ben Johnson said when asked earlier this year what he looks for from a tackle.

"To me, the No. 1 job of an offensive tackle, doesn't matter if it's right or left, is to  pass protect," Johnson said. "You need to be able to block their best pass rusher, one on one, and that's, to me, the No. 1 job."

Theo Benedet has made a huge improvement as a run blocker. Remember, he felt his run blocking was his weakness coming into the season but ESPN's analytics have Benedet now ranked behind only Joe Alt and Charlie Heck as the best run-blocking tackle in the NFL. His rate of wins is 82% on run blocks.

Pro Football Focus does its grading differently and earlier difficulty tends to weigh grades down too heavily in their system. Players who improve don't receive enough credit, particularly if it's more than two or three games into their season. They're weighing that anchor all year.

Benedet's improvement in run blocking isn't duplicated with his pass  blocking. He ranks only 61st among 76 tackle in pass blocking and only a little better than the job Braxton Jones was doing.

Because of what Johnson said about pass blocking, it wouldn't be  shocking for the Bears to make a left tackle who has longer arms a priority in the draft. They thought it was Kiran Amegadjie, who has freakishly long arms. But you have to be able to block besides having long arms. Amegadjie has a long way to go.

They still have Ozzy Trapilo, who they fashion as a right tackle rather than a left. Right now, he's just the extra blocker they bring in for short yardage or unbalanced line plays.

“I think it always helps when you have a tackle that you feel good about in that role," offensive coordinator Declan Doyle said. "You’ve got a guy that you feel good about blocking the C-gap and gives the defense another thing to have to deal with. Obviously less times that guy is a passing threat.

"However, you can find ways to be balanced offensively forcing them to defend different things. Anytime we have a lineman that we feel good about, it's always good to have that as an element of our offense.”

He's in the "Dan Skipper" role from Detroit for now, but is that  all they have in mind for Trapilo in the future? He would seem to have the skill set to be a left tackle even if they're using him as backup at right tackle.

With Darnell Wright stepping forward now as a potentially dominant right tackle, there seems less opportunity for Trapilo to play the so-called natural position on the right side.

It's also difficult to believe Ryan Poles wouldn't look for a left tackle with prototypical longer arms than the 32-1/8-inch arms Benedet has.

There are many who suggest Benedet would make an ideal guard in the future when Joe Thuney as retired, but who's to force him out when he's so effective? He has a contract through 2027.

If Benedet can keep showing his short arms do not matter, and keeps improving as a pass blocker the way he did at run blocking, he could be the real answer to a GM's dreams—an undrafted left tackle starter who is only an exclusive rights free agent next season.

It all makes for one of the most intriguing situations coming up for the offseason.

For now, the intrigue is how much better the pass blocking at left tackle gets so Williams can continue to improve in the pocket.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.