The pass rush was far and away the biggest concern for the Bears going into the preseason. People just weren’t sure if the team had enough bodies to get after the quarterback. Then, with Leonard Floyd and Akiem Hicks watching from the sideline, the defense delivered eight sacks on the evening. Fears have since eased, but with one problem gone others crop up. It seems their biggest issue may be the Chicago Bears offensive tackles.
For 2018 the team appears stable at the position with starters Charles Leno Jr. and Bobby Massie. Both have been in their respective spots since 2016. However, the bigger concern is what’s behind them. Thursday night revealed the Bears offense may be thinner at that critical position than they’d care to admit.
So much in fact that Rashaad Coward, who was converted from defensive tackle this offseason, started the entire game at right tackle. That wasn’t helped by the fact that Bradley Sowell, their supposed primary backup had a rough game against what was all backups for the Ravens defense.
Chicago Bears offensive tackles may need shuffling before season
It’s ironic that everybody talked about the Bears barely addressing the pass rush this offseason when in reality they did even less at offensive tackle. The play above illustrates Sowell’s issues. He was beaten almost immediately off the snap, allowing the defender to get immediate pressure on quarterback Chase Daniel. He was forced to unload the ball before he was ready, which clunked off the helmet of guard Jordan Morgan and was intercepted.
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If Sowell can’t do his job against backups, why should people feel comfortable with him going against Danielle Hunter or Ezekiel Ansah if Leno were to get injured? This leads to the possibility that there may be some shuffling along the offensive line before the start of the season in September.
Roster cuts from all 31 other teams are still to come. There’s a strong possibility the Bears could pursue help at tackle from the many players who could become available. Veterans like Donald Penn, Jeremy Parnell, and Menelik Watson are considered possible cuts by various sources. Any of them could at least offer the Bears some serviceable depth.
Much of this will depend on whether Sowell can bounce back from his ugly outing. Thankfully for him, there are four more preseason games, so there’s enough time. One can bet the Bears coaching staff is watching him more closely than ever.
