The Chicago Bears have a GM in Ryan Pace who isn’t prone to resting on his work in the spring. He is what you might call a “tinkerer.” Somebody who never stops looking for ways to bolster his roster, regardless of the time of year. That was made clear when he signed no fewer than three players to new contracts following mandatory minicamps. The most interesting part is he might not be done.
One position the Bears have remained focused on lately is offensive tackle. After adding Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom in the draft, the team decided to part ways with longtime left tackle Charles Leno Jr. A move primarily motivated by salary cap problems. While they remain publicly supportive of their current depth chart, it’s been apparent they are searching for possible help at the position. Made clear by their attempts to sign veteran Morgan Moses.
That, unfortunately, fell through.
So this means they’re likely to roll with who they have, right? Not necessarily. Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report examined the top remaining free agents available and picked their most likely landing spots. The Bears were indeed one of them. Playing host to a name they’re quite familiar with by now. Somebody who has played with not one but two of their division rivals by this point.
“Rick Wagner would be an upgrade over Ifedi, Wilkinson and Borom. He’s an eight-year veteran with 96 career starts.
According to Pro Football Focus, Wagner allowed just one sack in 610 offensive snaps in 2020.
The Bears should strengthen their offensive line with Andy Dalton slated to start the season. He’s not the most mobile quarterback and may struggle to avoid constant pressure. Even if rookie signal-caller Justin Fields takes over at some point, he’ll need reliable protection to ease his transition into the pros.”
Wagner’s status remains somewhat unknown. The Packers were forced to part ways with him this offseason due to money issues. Since then he’s remained totally silent on the market. Some have speculated that he might be considering retirement. He’s 31-years old after all and just suffered a brutal loss in the NFC championship. Such things make it tough to get yourself up for another season.
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Rick Wagner as the 6th OL blocking 3 defenders. Seals the DE, kicks out the LB, and pancakes the corner pic.twitter.com/RFpaa57tDO
— Brandon Thorn (@BrandonThornNFL) October 10, 2020
Rick Wagner with a nice pass pro transition here against Trey Flowers from a 4i alignment. pic.twitter.com/fsQV9bgkKb
— Owen Riese (@RieseDraft) September 23, 2020
Chicago Bears would be wise to add Wagner
In fact, they already tried once before. Back when he became a free agent for the first time in 2017, Wagner was a top target for Chicago. Despite a strong push from them, he opted to sign with the Detroit Lions instead. A decision he probably regrets. Three years of losing no doubt compelled him to sign with the Packers last season and he played well. The best part is he did so not just at his usual position of right tackle but left tackle too.
That versatility would no doubt appeal to the Chicago Bears coaches. During their pursuit of Moses, it was reported they were hoping he’d consider a switch to the left side. He wasn’t comfortable with that and so signed with the Jets. Perhaps Wagner might be more open to the possibility. Provided he is okay with competing with Jenkins for the job. The odds are his status will become clear this month.
Probably before training camp begins on July 31st.
Skipping OTAs and minicamps is not uncommon for veterans his age. Training camp though is another matter. Wagner would need that time to get himself in shape and acquainted with the Bears’ blocking scheme. If he doesn’t move to sign anywhere before August, it will be clear that he likely won’t play this season. This will be a name to watch for the next few weeks for sure.