Between the Bears wrapping up a highly acclaimed NFL Draft class and the return of players to Halas Hall for workouts, this is the time of year when hope springs eternal. It spreads throughout the galaxy. Optimism is at an all-time high. And the good vibes are plentiful.
And then, there’s this:
#Bears OL coach Juan Castillo: I wouldn t be surprised if RT Germain Ifedi makes the Pro Bowl this year.
While Bears Offensive Line Coach Juan Castillo wouldn’t be surprised if right tackle Germain Ifedi makes the Pro Bowl this year, I, on the other hand, would be.
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In my final offensive line rankings before the draft, I had a scheme fit and draftable grade on BYU’s Tristen Hoge, so I m pretty excited that Joe Douglas was able to add the guard via free agency following the draft.
Tristen Hoge was a heavily recruited centre out of Highland High in Idaho, having twice won the Idaho Gatorade Player of the season, in fact, he was ranked the #1 centre in the nation and the #1 player in Idaho during the 2015 recruiting cycle. He received a number of offers from top college programs including Stanford, Penn State. Michigan State, LSU, Florida, BYU and Boise State.
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The Bears are releasing left tackle Charles Leno, sources confirmed Monday, just days after the team appeared to draft his replacement.
The Bears will save $9 million in salary cap space by cutting Leno with a post-June 1 designation. The team needs that money; they had the smallest amount in salary cap space in the NFL entering the draft.
The Bears traded up to take Oklahoma State tackle Teven Jenkins in the second round (39th overall) Friday. General manager Ryan Pace said at the time that Jenkins could play either left or right tackle. Saturday night, when asked directly about Leno’s future, Pace refused to comment.
THREE STRENGTHS (FROM NFL.COM’s DRAFT PROFILE)
• “Impressive redirect power to press and collapse edge rusher.” … This is the type of thing I like reading about an offensive line prospect.
• “Big body is hard to maneuver around..” … Three were too many times in recent years when it was too easy for defensive players to get around blockers. Perhaps being an extra-large human will help matters here.
• “Play experience at both tackle spots and at guard.” … As was the case with Cody Whitehair and James Daniels when they were picked in their respective draft classes, Borom has playing experience at multiple positions along the line. Versatility is valued by Chicago’s decision-makers.