Injury Could Decide Bears Line Battle

Justin Fields doesn't see it as critical yet but coach Matt Eberflus is starting to feel the urgency a bit more.

The Bears have continued experimenting with their offensive line in minicamp and need a resolution soon. They don't want to leave the pass blocking to last-minute decisions. But now there is a twist to it all.

Rookie Braxton Jones is lining up at left tackle to start this week's work after he did it last week, as well. Larry Borom moved from left tackle to right tackle and remains there, with Teven Jenkins practicing with backups.

The other position in question was right guard, where Sam Mustipher and Dakota Dozier have battled but on Tuesday the twist occurred. Dozier went down during practice while playing back up left guard and had to be taken from the field by cart. The entire team went to another practice field to complete work while team medical personnel got Dozier up off the field and into the cart.

It's possible the injury could decide this battle but training camp is still a long way off depending on the injury's severity. The Bears aren't talking about what the injury is but Fields seems less worried about the line coming together than his coach.

'I'm not in a rush," Fields said. "I think we have a lot of time and at the end of the day, whoever does the job the best, it's going to be the best fit for us all.

"I'm not really in a rush to see whose playing what position on O-line so I think right now it's all about us developing, us learning the system and us getting better each and every day."

Eberflus isn't quite as relaxed about the situation. He did point out he had said they were looking at this same line for six practices but had one eliminated by a suspension for too much connand are only on the fourth practice Wednesday. Then again, things can always change.

They already looked at a line with Borom at left tackle and Jenkins at right tackle in the first six practices of the offseason.

"So, we're going to finish off the minicamp with this alignment and then we'll decide, hey, we like this alignment, that alignment or like I said, don't like either one let's go with a new one," Eberflus said. "So, we're just assessing guys' talents, assessing their skill level and going forward from there."

Eberflus had to admit at some point they need to have actual starters for the starting positions they will play so the line can begin to develop.

"That's a good point and to that point you want to start honing it down," Eberflus said. "Guys getting the same looks all the time: 'I'm playing right guard, I'm playing right tackle,' and getting the same looks, the same mechanics, so to speak, the technical mechanics to play the position.

"We want to hone that down, the sooner the better. We just don’t have the answer right now."

Eberflus sounded a familiar refrain about getting his top players on the field.

"I would say that we're evaluating each day and we're gonna find the best five for us going into the first game," Eberflus said. "That's a buildup process and we're trying to find the combinations right now.

"We'd like to find them sooner than later and when we do that we'll start repping it that way, and do what's best for the Bears."

At this point, Eberflus won't rule anything out on the line. That includes moving either Borom or Jenkins to guard, even though they haven't practiced the position.

"You know all combinations are open, I'll just say that," Eberflus said. "I'm not going to comment on is it yes or no but I'll say that we have an open lens, of all combinations are open. And we're just trying to find the best five so ..."

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