Most of the Chicago Bears‘ free agent signings have been focused on the defensive front seven thus far. That is not a surprise. It was a brutal group towards the end of 2022. They needed a talent infusion in the worst way. However, GM Ryan Poles knew he couldn’t navigate the first wave without boosting his beleaguered offensive line. While most people expected a move at right tackle, the first acquisition ended up being veteran guard Nate Davis. This was a minor surprise since many weren’t familiar with the former Tennessee Titans starter.
Former Bears scout Greg Gabriel was quick to shed light on this for Windy City Gridiron. He not only thinks the team found itself a good player but is probably one of the biggest steals of the off-season.
“A few hours later, two more signings were announced back to back. The first was with guard Nate Davis, formerly with Tennessee, who got a 3-year deal worth about $30M, another bargain. Davis is a stud who can line up at either guard position and is a perfect fit for the Bears’ outside zone scheme. He is equally good as both a run and pass blocker.”
It doesn’t stop there.
Davis is a terrific athlete for his size. He moves great in space, picking off linebackers at the second level and showing a natural ability with pull blocks. His pass protection also improved considerably last season. Where it gets interesting is where the Bears plan to plug him in. Davis has been a right guard his entire career. The problem is Teven Jenkins was quite good at right guard last year. Gabriel believes the likely outcome is shifting Davis to the left side, with one added twist.
“Getting back to the other signings, how will the Bears use Nate Davis? Davis played right guard at Tennessee, the same position that Tevin Jenkins plays. I can see the Bears moving Davis to the left side and then moving Cody Whitehair back to center where he started his career. That would dramatically improve the interior offensive line. Add a good right tackle in the Draft, and the line got much better.”
Nate Davis helps narrow the Bears’ focus.
Shifting him to left guard would mean the team now has two viable options at center. They can go with Whitehair, as Gabriel suggests, or they could give Lucas Patrick one more opportunity. That means Poles’ only objective going into the draft would be finding a right tackle. That could be accomplished in the 1st or 2nd round. The offensive line could be in a far better place, barely over a month from now. It would be younger and more athletic than ever before. Few would love this development more than Fields.
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One added bonus to the Nate Davis signing is his mentality. The guy is violent. Poles has said he wants more physical players up front. He’s tired of the Bears getting pushed around. That won’t be a problem with this guy. He loves to get after it. The tandem of him and Jenkins at guard should be an unwelcome revelation to future opponents. If they get modest blocking from the center position, they could have one of the better interiors in the league. Credit to Poles for pinpointing a solid addition.
Mooney and Claypool are both FA’s after this year. Only one will be brought back. Fields will need an extension, so will CB Jaylon Johnson. Bears, with the 9th pick, take either JSN or the top CB on the board.
Thomas Gena, it would be nice if your “Doc” learned to be concise
Walt Johan —
A “marshmallow” that didn’t surrender a single sack — as the Steelers’ best O-linemen (protecting Pickett and a guy named Trubisky).
“Doc” Martin Melhus, PhD —
There’s a lot there, Doc. So, let me make a suggestion: Please read the article by Sam Monson, entitled:
“What to Look at When Evaluating NFL Offensive Tackles”
And, then, let me know what you think.
Thomas Gena: Umm, OK. Here I am. What’s up? The long arms comment is about one trait that the Bears coaches seem to value, particularly at offensive tackle and defense, longer arms. The theory is that if your arms are longer than the other guy’s, you can reach him and affect him before he can reach you and affect you. I’m not sure how much stock I put into that personally, but it seems to suggest that Poles and Flus, all else being equal, will gravitate towards players with longer arms. Erik’s articles are not the only source for this… Read more »