By Adewale Apata
Apparently, Ryan Pace thinks Josh Sitton was too old and expensive. He released the soon to be 32 year old (June 6th) and saved just over $8 Million in salary cap space. The problem with that is; according to Pro Football Focus (PFF) Josh Sitton was the Bears best offensive lineman. 3-time Pro Bowler Kyle Long has been ravished by injuries in his last couple seasons and Bear fans can only hope that his injury woes are behind him. The 2-year pro Cody Whitehair is a natural guard but has been forced to play center due to the injured or ineffective Hroniss Grasu. Grasu has the look of a 2015 3rd round draft miss by Ryan Pace. He’ll have a tough time surviving roster cuts during training camp. Another option at guard is soon to be 29 year old (May 10th) Jack of All Trades O-lineman Tom Compton. He’s a offensive tackle who started 5 games at guard for the Bears last season but he is just a ‘next man up’ kind of guy and an unrestricted free agent.
The release of Sitton implies that Pace believes in 28 year old backup guard/center Eric Kush. Kush played solid in his 4 starts in 2016 while filling in for the injured Kyle Long but he tore a hamstring in training camp which kept him out for the entire 2017 season. Jordan Morgan is an intriguing backup guard for the Bears. He was a 2017 5th round pick from little known Kutztown University in Pennsylvania and He practically red-shirted his rookie year as he was placed on injured reserve due to shoulder surgery. Chicago is hoping that Morgan is a diamond in the rough but Pace must try and write a huge check to an interior offensive lineman during free agency. There are 2 unrestricted free agent offensive linemen that Pace must pursue in order to fulfill that hole he created when he released Josh Sitton.
#1) Andrew Norwell Carolina Panthers– During the 2014 draft, Norwell never heard his name called. He signed to the Panthers as an undrafted free agent, survived roster cuts, took over the starting left guard position and has held it down ever since. Andrew Norwell continues to ascend as he was voted 1st Team All-Pro by the Associated Press and Pro Football Focus for the 2017 season and he’s only 26 years old. It’s a no brainer, Ryan Pace has to put forth maximum effort to get Andrew Norwell into a Bears uniform. If Pace pulls this off, he’ll look like a genius for replacing Sitton for a player who is younger and better.
#2)Ryan Jensen Baltimore Ravens – If the Bears are unable to score big with Andrew Norwell, Jensen should be next in line. Ryan Jensen played his 1st 3 seasons as a reserve guard but changed his position to center last season and started all 16 games for the Ravens. According to Pro Football Focus, Jensen was the 9th best center in the NFL last year, which is 2 spots above Cody Whitehair. Whitehair was drafted to play guard, so plugging Jensen in at the center position would be a solid solution to the Bear’s O-Line puzzle. Ryan Jensen would also be a long term solution; he turns 27 on May 27th.