Bear Digest

What Future Looks Like for Bears at Center

Analysis: The possiblity exists Bears might need to find multiple centers after this season.
Gene Chamberlain|
What Future Looks Like for Bears at Center
What Future Looks Like for Bears at Center

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Chicago Bears

It would be a shock in the offseason if the Bears ignore the center position.

They lost potential project Doug Kramer to the Arizona Cardinals when they waived him. Meanwhile, both veteran centers on the team now, Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick, are graded by Pro Football Focus near the bottom of the league at their positions. 

Both veterans are higher paid players, Whitehair the fourth-highest cap hit this season and Patrick is a free agent after this season who has a bigger average annual total against the cap higher this year than all but four of the centers who are scheduled to be free agents in 2024.

So with center the only position where the Bears seem to have a drastic positional need on the offensive line, it might be best for them to sign a free agent center and also draft one.

Drafting a free agent center can mean waiting at least two years before they develop. Whitehair was phenomenal as a rookie center in 2016 but this doesn't usually happen with rookies. Kansas City's Creed Humphrey is the exception to the rule as one who came in and immediately dominated.

They have no second-round pick, so unless they find one in Round 3 who starts right away they'll be counting on a Day 3 addition to be a starter. It's unlikely to work, and using a first-round pick on one wouldn't be wise. According to Mockdraftdatabase.com, the consensus ratings have no centers worthy of selection in Rounds 1 or 2.

Center tends to be a position where greater clarity occurs once the Senior Bowl rolls around. Usually players step forward in the predraft process then.

Considering how long it takes to develop a center, the free agency route might be the best one. There will be centers in free agency and the Bears, with the fourth-most effective cap space available according to Overthecap.com, could easily find someone and pay them.

1. Jason Kelce, Eagles

Is not really an option because of the cost and his age, but if the Bears decided to bring one in who knows what he's doing while another one develops, they could definitely do worse. His 81.9 Pro Footblal Focus leads the NFL so he's definitely doing more than answering questions about his brother's relationship with Taylor Swift.

2. Connor Williams, Dolphins

He was a guard in Dallas, but the Dolphins moved him to center and he hasn't done a bad job at all. He's currently graded sixth among all centers by PFF. Spotrac.com projects his market value at $13.5 million a year, which the website says is close to what Whitehair is supposed to count against the Bears cap in 2024.

3. Lloyd Cushenberry, Broncos

Like many centers, Cushenberry started off receiving poor grades from PFF but is having by far his best year, according to PFF, now as his contract is expiriring before next season.

4. Aaron Brewer, Titans

He's a bit small at 6-foot-1, 295, but very mobile and from the offensive line that Bears right guard Nate Davis played on which uses plenty of wide zone scheme. He's also a bargain if Spotrac.com is right, at $5.2 million projected per year. This is actually his first year at center full time after he had a brief period playing it last season. He had been a left guard before and is graded 12th overall among centers this year.

5. Andre James, Raiders

PFF grades him 14th among all centers. He's been around six years but just started playing significant time three years ago and each year has had solid blocking grades, with this season his best.

6. Nick Allegretti, Chiefs

Chiefs guard who has been in for a handful of snaps at center, as well. He's mostly been a backup, somewhat like Lucas Patrick was coming to the Bears from the Packers. His one season starting half the games was in 2020.

7. Austin Schlottman, Vikings

A backup guard and center who has played 524 snaps at center and 449 at slightly more snaps at center and 538 total for both guard spots. He has started 14 games in five seasons for the Vikings and Broncos and this year had his best blocking grades from PFF.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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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.

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