If the Chicago Bears are going to take a step forward offensively this season, it will have to start up front. Their offensive line was a mixed bag in 2022. While it was highly effective in the run game most of the year, it fell well below standards in pass protection. That is why GM Ryan Poles invested significant resources in upgrading it, signing Nate Davis in free agency and drafting Darnell Wright in the 1st round. It’s also why young guys like Braxton Jones and Teven Jenkins have rededicated their efforts to improve this off-season.
Jones already got personal tutoring sessions from Olin Kreutz, the Bears’ legendary former center. Now he and Jenkins sought guidance from other notable sources. They attended the annual OL Masterminds summit in Texas, where offensive linemen gather to help each other grow. Carmen Vitali of Fox Sports was down there to witness the event. It was star-studded from an O-line point of view.
Then there are the hundreds of offensive linemen, each more impossibly big than the next, their attention fixated on a panel of big personalities with big accomplishments — Hall of Fame accomplishments — as the likes of Steve Hutchinson, Will Shields, Andrew Whitworth and Damien Woody all share knowledge and experience with the next generation of their fraternity sitting in front of them.
Nobody stood to benefit more than Jenkins.
Unlike Jones, he has to shift positions this off-season, going from right guard to left guard. While not as challenging as going from tackle to guard, it’s still a tricky adjustment. He has embraced his newfound life inside, feeling it fits his game better. As for the summit, he views it as the perfect fact-finding mission ahead of training camp.
“I feel like overall my game is better when I can get my hands on you and I could do that a lot better at guard where you can attack them,” Jenkins said…
…”Me transitioning to left guard, I feel like if I get some insight going to Masterminds that can help me with the certain problems I might have,” Jenkins said.
Teven Jenkins has an understandable sense of urgency.
His first two years in the NFL showed lots of promise but also came with a sour aftertaste. He missed several games with injury setbacks in that time. People still wonder if his body can withstand the rigors of a full NFL season. This year is probably the most important of his career. It is the typical time period when young players start thinking about a possible contract extension. Don’t forget 2024 would be the last year of his rookie deal. If the Bears feel he has a future with them, they will likely approach him about a new deal sometime before the end of this season.
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Much of that hinges on how well and often he plays. If Teven Jenkins can start most of his games and plays at an above-average level, GM Ryan Poles likely won’t hesitate to secure him long-term. Experts still believe the former 2nd round pick is the best player on the Bears offensive line. He flashed Pro Bowl potential last season. Now he understands the system and has been healthy all off-season. This should be the year he puts everything together.
