Bear Digest

The Tough Bears Decision Between Braxton Jones or Drafting a Tackle

The free agent tackle market is always fickle and expensive so retaining Braxton Jones might be the best Bears method to replace injured Ozzy Trapilo. Or is it?
Gene Chamberlain|
Tackle Yosh Nijman gets to celebrate with a spike after a Panthers T in a win over the Packers.
Tackle Yosh Nijman gets to celebrate with a spike after a Panthers T in a win over the Packers. | Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears' uncertainty at left tackle even appears dire if their idea is to sign a lower-cost free agent as a way to address starter Ozzy Trapilo's serious knee injury.

The patellar tendon injury might even keep Trapilo out an entire year. It's difficult to say at this point.

"Really unfortunate because I thought that he was really coming along," GM Ryan Poles said. "I was looking forward to him getting this offseason. I don't have a specific timetable, I'm sure that it will be somewhere deep into next year, for the injury."

Deep into next year leaves them without a starting left tackle, considering Braxton Jones' free agency status and how they simply looked over Theo Benedet to move Joe Thuney to the position in the divisional playoff game with the Rams.

Since it seems unlikely they'd consider moving Thuney permanently to tackle at his age, the idea of a lower-cost tackle starter to hold it down until or if Trapilo can get back sometime later this season.

The problem here is always slim pickings. Rarely do good tackles or  excellent budding replacement tackles make it into free agency, largely because of the difficulty and expense associated with that spot. Teams lock up the players they want to keep.

Scheduled free agent tackles

It appears this way again. Here are top projected veteran options in free agency at left tackle for a team with limited cap space. Some may not even get to the open market:

  • Cam Robinson, Cleveland, is projected by Spotrac.com to cost $13.1 million and is 30. He made $12 million. It's a steep price with good potential veteran value.
  • Alija Vera-Tucker, is a former Jets guard and tackle projected to cost $12.8 million and is in his prime at 26. He's been a slightly above average performer grade-wise by Pro Football Focus but really is more of a guard.
  • Yosh Nijman, the Carolina backup who has played both left and right tackle and a little bit of guard, was sometimes a Packers starter because of injuries before going to the Panthers. He has only a projected $4 million annual cost and is coming off his best run-blocking season in the NFL, albeit in a relief role. At 6-7, 314, he is built like a left tackle. His PFF blocking grades have been above average, though not quite up to what Braxton Jones logged when healthy.
  • Joe Noteboom, the Ravens backup tackle, filled in adequately at various times, but never good enough to win a starter's role.
  • Charlie Heck, a 608, 311-pounder who is the son of former Bears NFL lineman Andy Heck, hasn't had quality PFF grades and rates only as a backup.
  • Justin Skule, a Vikings backup and former Tampa Bay backup, has been a solid performer when called upon at tackle, but failed to attain long-term starter status.
  • Andrew Wylie, a 31-year-old Commanders and former Chiefs starter, is projected at $4 million a year by Spotrac and never quite attained PFF blocking grades close to Jones' marks. He lost his starter's tag this past season.

The best idea

Better tackles who are starters often are cut for cap purposes and most frequently come into the marketplace late, but none of that will become apparent until just before March free agency.

Considering veteran free agent talent level uncertainty, the Bears' best choice looks like signing Jones back. His poor play this year was largely the result of not being ready after a serious ankle injury. Think Kyle Long-type injury, although not as severe. He could be back at 100% and has a year in and around the current Bears offense, so he wouldn't be starting over.

If they don't want to spend what Jones is able to get in the open market, the next-best option would be the draft. It's a tight decision between these two options, but this might be the best path because there are no guarantees regarding Trapilo's return next year at all.

While they still have veteran Thuney at left guard and a veteran line working effectively most of the season, a rookie brought in from Rounds 1-3 would have an opportunity to make an impact. The instruction he'd get from Thuney while working by him would be invaluable.

Poles and Ben Johnson combined forces to find Trapilo in Round 2. Why couldn't they do it again?

Poles was asked during his postseason press conference about the need for a pass rusher, but the offensive line was clearly on his mind then.

"We'll evaluate everything, but that's always," Poles said. "O-line and D-line is always going to be a space where we want to get better.”

Adding more young offensive linemen never hurts, and in this case appears necessary.

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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.