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Chicago Bears legendary offensive lineman Olin Kreutz feels the team should solidify the line by signing a top-notch veteran left tackle.

Well, the end of the 2021 season is upon us. The Chicago Bears travel to take on the Minnesota Vikings. After the game, the team will undergo a great deal of change (at least most people feel they should). When the 2022 season begins, there might be a new head coach and coaching staff, a new general manager, and a new President. In addition, the team has 31 players in the last year of their contracts and a number of others with buyouts.

The 2022 Chicago Bears will look completely different from the 2021 version.

One of the biggest priorities for the offense has to be the offensive line. Once again, the unit struggled through injuries, COVID, and bad play. On too many occasions, quarterback Justin Fields had to run for his life. The other quarterbacks, Andy Dalton and Nick Foles, don’t have Fields’ wheels so they took some hits in the pocket.

The Bears do have some talent on the line. Cody Whitehair and James Daniels are solid players. Additionally, they have some good young talent in Teven Jenkins and Larry Borom.

While most people expect Jenkins and Borom to be the bookends on the line, there are some who disagree. Chicago Bears legendary center Olin Kreutz is one of them.

Despite having so many holes on the roster, Kreutz believes the Bears need to do what they need to do to protect Fields.

I’ve got to get my left tackle spot fixed for my franchise quarterback. I have to fix my offensive line for my franchise quarterback.

Fields is the one player that the team and fans feel is the franchise quarterback they’ve spent decades trying to find. Now that they have him, they need to keep him upright.


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If the Bears do go after a tackle they’ll need to shuffle the line. They should re-sign guard James Daniels and move him over to center. Current starter at center Sam Mustipher really struggled this season. He could be better off as a backup at center and guard.

Once Daniels is signed, the Bears could move Jenkins to right tackle. That is where he spent most of his college career. Then they move Borom over to guard. While he’s done a good job at tackle, he could be a monster at guard. At 6-foot-5, 322 pounds he’ll cause some damage to opposing players. He’ll open some gaping holes for the Bears’ running game.

Just like the fans, Kreutz is tired of having to wonder if the Chicago Bears’ offensive line finally gets the job done. A top-notch left tackle helps solidify the line and gives Fields a chance to do what he needs to do to succeed.

I’m tired of guessing at offensive line. I need someone who I know can solidify the left tackle spot, and I know that Teven Jenkins, from all his film in college, I know he can play right tackle. From what I see from Borom this year, I just got a lot bigger moving him to right guard.

Yes, Kreutz is a little biased when talking about the offensive line. However, he is right in this case. For far too long, we’ve seen a patchwork offensive line struggle to protect the quarterback. The offense begins and ends with the line. If Chicago has a good line the offense will take bigger steps to success.

It will be an interesting offseason for the Chicago Bears. Let’s just hope they get it right this time. They appeared to get it right with Fields last year. Hopefully, they get the right plan in place.

This article first appeared on Full Press Coverage and was syndicated with permission.

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