Bear Digest

Positions can be gray area for Bears when seeking next center

The need for a center or guards can mean changing players' positions for the Bears and one potential NFL lineman they talked to epitomizes this versatility.
Gene Chamberlain|
Grey Zabel of North Dakota St., a tackle who could play guard or center, answers media questions at the NFL Scouting Combine.
Grey Zabel of North Dakota St., a tackle who could play guard or center, answers media questions at the NFL Scouting Combine. | Jacob Musselman-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The Bears have needed to be serious about finding a long-term starter at center since possibly the end of the Olin Kreutz era.

Cody Whitehair might have been that player but the Bears moved him around so much early in his career that he never really settled there as a fixture and had varying degrees of success.

They can sign Falcons free agent Drew Dalman if he makes it into the open market but that's no certainty at this point, and it's uncommon for centers to make the early first round these days.

Even finding one like Tampa Bay did last year with Graham Barton going 19th is less common, and none of the players who started at this position in college last year are being projected as a first-round material. This attitude toward centers has always been there. For instance, there were only three centers drafted in Round 1 in the 1990s, five in the 1980s and four in the 1970s.

In light of this, and because line coaches like versatility, it's not unusual at all for teams to create their own centers by drafting guards who may or may not have experience at doing it. The problem with this approach is it takes more time.

There is a player in this draft many analysts see as worthy of conversion and it might not take so much time from what teams have seen at the combine. That's North Dakota State tackle Grey Zabel.

"I can't say there's been one specific position that teams see me at because every team views me differently," Zabel told combine reporters. "But the biggest takeaway is that versatility is an asset, and being able to play multiple spots gives me value in this process."

At the Senior Bowl, Zabel wowed scouts by his ability to adapt to guard and center after playing tackle. He hadn't really played center in the past and his exposure to guard had been limited.

The key to this versatility is something Bears coach Ben Johnson has said he cherishes in all of his players.

"I'd say football IQ," Zabel said. "Playing center means getting all five offensive linemen on the same page, recognizing defensive tendencies, and making sure everyone is in sync.

"Defenses change week to week, so understanding their schemes and how they like to play is huge for that position."

Even though he hasn't done it, Zabel said he thinks he's a natural as a leader/organizer on the line.

"I was always the kid who got in trouble for talking too much growing up," he said. "I've always been a social butterfly, so communicating on the field won't be a problem."

Zabel, who said he interviewed with the Bears at the combine, could see himself fitting in with Johnson's offense. Johnson had All-Pro Frank Ragnow as a key piece of his offensive line in Detroit.

"They've got a really talented football team," Zabel said of the Bears. "I love their QB, watching him play and make plays is exciting. I'm training with a buddy who played with him at USC, so I've gotten to see a lot of his highlights and really appreciate his skill set."

Zabel has one other quality Johnson might like, considering his trick plays repertoire in Detroit included monster tackle Penei Sewell trying to throw a pass.

"Well, I played quarterback up until eighth grade before they saw my frame and moved me to the offensive line," he said. "I was also a pitcher in baseball, so throwing the football might be a hidden talent of mine. Who knows? Maybe a team sees that and wants to get creative."

Zabel isn't the only lineman they might consider doing this with, but in Zabel's case it might require trading back a bit for the Bears because he's not perceived on many draft boards as a top-10 quality talent even if he is versatile. Mel Kiper sees him going 24th in Round 1 to Minnesota and Daniel Jeremiah of NFL.com says 18th to Seattle.

Oregon State's Joshua Gray is another tackle in the draft viewed as capable of switching in the NFL to center, but mock drafts say he'd be available on Day 3 of the draft.

Necessity is the mother of invention. The Bears are long past veiwing the creation of their own center by moving players as a gimmick, considering how long it has taken them to find someone capable of playing the position.

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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.