The Center of Bears Free Agent Attention

Debate is building over whether the Bears should use their second draft pick in Round 1 at No. 9 on someone to play left tackle because it's likely one or two elite players at this position will be available.

They might want to seriously consider re-evaluating their priorities if it is their verdict to take a tackle.

Their offensive line issues start in the middle of the line and not at tackle, where Braxton Jones and Darnell Wright both got the job done last season.

They need a center badly. Lucas Patrick and Dan Feeney leaving in free agency and Cody Whitehair possibly gone as a cap cut victim would leave them with Doug Kramer from their practice squad.

The Bears may need to use free agency to bring in a veteran center of high enough quality to bridge the gap until a drafted center can take over the starting position. It's not an easy position to step into in the NFL.

Maybe Kramer can do it, but he's been in Chicago two seasons and has been on the field for two plays.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus was asked whether he wanted to put an inexperienced center together with an inexperienced quarterback, presumably Caleb Williams.

"I think you look at the person and the production and his traits," he said. "You make a good decision from there. Looking at all options, it's important.

"If that did happen, that would be cool for those two guys to grow together. But again, that's one option, and we have several options available to us."

Either way, he was non-committal at best.

"It could be that option or could be the other option with a veteran," he said.

Whitehair was judged by Pro Football Focus to be the 11th best center in the league heading into 2023 and played only 87 snaps there. He played about half the snaps there in 2020.

Sam Mustipher took plenty of heat for his play at time in Chicago before leaving this year as a free agent, but his PFF grade in 2022 was higher than for any starting Bears center since Whitehair in 2020.

The team's troubles blocking on fourth-and-1 reflects the need to have someone else triggering key short-yardage plays.

Considering the expected group of free agent centers includes Aaron Brewer of the Tennessee Titans, that he's projected to have a market value of only $5.2 million per year by Spotrac.com, that Titans offensive line coach Jason Houghtaling is now the Bears assistant offensive line coach, and that Brewer used to play alongside Bears guard Nate Davis, maybe it's a good place to start for the Bears in free agency.

Brewer isn't a big-money guy and definitely can bridge the way to a high draft pick.

Whichever way they go, it's apparent they'll need to do something because it's an important position and they've had sub-par play there for years.

Bears UFA Projections

C/G Lucas Patrick

Measurements: 6-foot-3, 313

Age: 30

2023 Cap Cost: $5.4 million

Years with Bears: 2

Years in the NFL: 7

BearDigest 2024 UFA Projection: Leaving

C/G Dan Feeney

Measurements: 6-4, 310

Age: 29

2023 Cap Cost: $1.2 million

Years with Bears: 1

Years in the NFL: 7

BearDigest 2024 UFA Projection: Leaving

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