Chicago Bears Reportedly Inching Towards Significant Lineup Change

The Chicago Bears have approached 2022 with a clear agenda. It was never about competing for a championship this season. GM Ryan Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus blew up the roster, shed contracts, and added many young bodies. That includes several former high draft choices. The idea was simple. Give guys opportunities to make an impression. Anybody that does could find themselves part of the big picture after this season. Now with the team 3-8 and out of the playoff picture, this mission will likely take on a greater priority.

Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune believes one unresolved subplot is coming to a head soon. The Bears pulled a surprise move when they claimed former 1st round pick Alex Leatherwood off waivers from Las Vegas. The Alabama product had a rough rookie season for the Raiders and didn’t impress the new regime. Unable to find a trade partner, they elected to cut their losses. Poles felt the talent Leatherwood possessed was worth the claim. Since then, the 23-year-old has spent time learning the offense and improving his game. From what Biggs wrote in his latest column, it sounds possible that he may soon see action.

It is only a matter of where and when.

The other player I remain curious about is Alex Leatherwood. At some point, the Bears have to give him a shot — and more than just a game or two, right? My hunch is he could be slotted in at right tackle, but anything is possible and the Bears have hinted at some positional versatility.

“In practice, we really like where he is,” Matt Eberflus said last week. “He’s really starting to feel his way into that role, playing inside or outside, whatever that is, he’s understanding the offense. And you can really see his confidence start to build. The guys are getting comfortable. He’s starting to take some big steps.”

Offensive line coach Chris Morgan hit some similar notes when talking about Leatherwood.

“He’s starting to get a little more comfortable in the offense, little more comfortable with the calls, and he’s showing some versatility and we’re moving around a little bit,” Morgan said Thursday. “We’re excited (with) where he’s at.”

The Chicago Bears have an opportunity coming up soon.

Leatherwood always had considerable talent. His problems in Las Vegas were technical in nature. He suffered from several issues with his fundamentals. The Raiders made matters worse by constantly leaving him in one-on-one situations. It isn’t a surprise his confidence seemed to suffer as a result. Now he has a fresh start without the pressure of being a 1st round pick over his head. He’s had almost three months to absorb the offense. If the Bears want to give him a shot, the timing is nearly right to do so.

Next week against the Jets might not be ideal. It’s on the road against a really good defensive front. There is a home game against Green Bay after that. If not, the ideal scenario is after the bye week against Philadelphia. He’d have two weeks to prepare himself, and it would be at home. He’d then have four games to get his feet under him and give the Bears a nice chunk of tape to evaluate before setting their off-season plans—something to watch for in the coming weeks.