The Chicago Bears were surprisingly quiet during free agency when it came to their offensive line back in the spring. Their only notable signings were Lucas Patrick and Dakota Dozier. They did attempt to lure Ryan Bates from Buffalo, but the Bills matched their offer on his restricted free agent contract. Going into training camp, it felt like the Bears still had serious questions up front. Not ideal considering it was a critical year for Justin Fields. Thankfully GM Ryan Poles did something about it, signing veterans Michael Schofield and Riley Reiff.
Schofield started over 80 games in his career. Most of them are at guard. Last season, he was a solid blocker for the Chargers, allowing 24 pressures and two sacks on Justin Herbert. He is the immediate favorite for the right guard spot. Reiff, however, has caught the attention of people around the NFL. Some are surprised he was still available, and it appears other teams were vying for his services, according to Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. One current executive loves the signing.
“They need a guy like Reiff,” one personnel director said via text message. “He’s a hard ass and will be good in the locker room.”
That personnel director said word on the street was as many as three teams were pursuing Reiff, and now the Bears have a player that can potentially slide in at left tackle. Schofield has played primarily right tackle and right guard in his career, so where the Bears start him at and how that impacts the other position — or positions — will be interesting.”
Riley Reiff is the perfect bridge option for the Bears.
A former 1st round pick in 2012, he’s been a steady and dependable tackle in the NFL for almost a decade. That time was mostly spent between the NFC North rival Detroit Lions and Minnesota Vikings. Last year saw him sign with the Cincinnati Bengals. He allowed 21 pressures and four sacks with a respectable 70.0 run-blocking grade across 12 games before an ankle injury ended his season. He was sorely missed in the Super Bowl, where replacement Isaiah Prince allowed seven pressures on Joe Burrow.
Even better for the Bears is Riley Reiff has experience in their style of offense. He played in the wide-zone under Gary Kubiak in Minnesota. He played arguably his best season in it in 2020, allowing only one sack on the quarterback in 567 pass-blocking snaps. Yes, at 33 years old, his best days are behind him. Still, there is no evidence to suggest he’ll be a liability this year. He can bring stability to the left side of the offensive line and allow the Bears to take their time developing younger guys like Braxton Jones.
If he also brings some attitude to the mix as well? All the better.
Reif makes the overall OL serviceable and solid enough to give the rookies time to adapt and acclimated while providing stable protection for J Fields.
Solid signing even at $10M, since this does not affect 2023 cap.