Sometimes it takes a little luck for a football team to solve a problem during a season. What it comes down to is whether that team seizes on it. The Chicago Bears are searching for answers along their offensive line. A string of injuries as well as a minor COVID-19 outbreak has drained the front five to dangerous levels.
Opening day starters James Daniels, Cody Whitehair, and Bobby Massie are all out. Primary backup Jason Spriggs is out as well. This has forced the coaches to look towards 7th round rookie Arlington Hambright and former undrafted free agent Alex Bars for help at left guard and center respectively. Not an ideal situation in what might be the decisive stretch of the season for this team.
The Bears aren’t sitting on their hands.
Already they brought in familiar face Eric Kush for a visit and expectations are they’ll sign him. It’s fair to wonder if he’s the last one too. Right now their depth is leaning on a lot of rookies. Signing another veteran makes a ton of sense. Especially one who might have previous experience in the type of offense this team runs.
That is where the Pittsburgh Steelers may have provided a huge assist. They recently made a trade for linebacker Avery Williamson to help bolster their defense. In order to make room, they made the surprise decision to waive veteran interior blocker Stefen Wisniewski. He started Week 1 back in September but has been a backup since.
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This is a guy the Bears should be all over.
Steelers have added LBs Avery Williamson and Jayrone Elliott to the 53-man roster. To make room,they have released G/C Stefen Wisniewski and RB Trey Edmunds. They also have signed DT Demarcus Christmas to the practice squad. Antoine Brooks has been promoted from PS for Sunday.
— Joe Rutter (@tribjoerutter) November 7, 2020
https://twitter.com/BaldyNFL/status/1238167109500198912
Chicago Bears would love what Wisniewski offers
Keep this in mind. The guy has started 104 games in his career. He’s seasoned and knows the game well. More than that though is where he got his experience. Among his several stops was Philadelphia from 2016 to 2018 and Kansas City in 2019. That means he played for both Doug Pederson and Andy Reid. Two men who run similar offenses to what Matt Nagy does in Chicago.
Not only that but he won the Super Bowl with both of them. Wisniewski isn’t a star, but he’s a tough, dependable competitor who knows his job. That is what the Bears need more than anything. Someone who can provide stability and maybe a little more attitude. He can do that. Better still? He’s played both guard and center. So that would offer flexibility on top of it.
Wisniewski was just activated off Injured Reserve after suffering a pectoral injury against the Giants. He was practicing on a limited basis when he was waived. So it’s fair to believe he’s close to being ready for game action. The Chicago Bears could probably get him for pennies since the Steelers paid him some nice guaranteed money on a two-year deal this offseason.
Everything about this move is logical. A veteran who knows the offensive system, plays multiple spots at a position of glaring need, and would be cheap to get. That’s the Pace and Nagy checklist. It would be a shock if they didn’t give him a look.