Alex Leatherwood Starts Out at Right Tackle for Bears

Neither Bears coach Matt Eberflus nor GM Ryan Poles wanted to answer whether new acquisition Alex Leatherwood would play tackle or guard or on which side.

So Leatherwood did.

"On the right side at right tackle, so yeah, that's where I was at," Leatherwood said Thursday after his first Bears practice.

It doesn't mean he'll stay there but for now he's in a backup situation behind Larry Borom at right tackle as he learns a new offense.

The 2021 first-round Raiders draft pick was claimed off waivers on Wednesday and has a second chance.

"Just a new opportunity," Leatherwood said. "I feel like what they have going on is going to be great. I'm excited to be a part of it."

Going from first-round draft bust to contributing with the Bears will be a difficult path for the 6-foot-5, 312-pound former Alabama player.

In a way, there is a symmetry to the Bears putting Leatherwood back at tackle because they had a small part in his move to guard last year. 

Leatherwood had been struggling with penalties and sacks allowed. Then the Bears came to Las Vegas in Week 5 with Leatherwood slated to line up at right tackle across from Khalil Mack. This didn't look like a positive scenario.

They decided to move him inside to right guard for that game and then kept him there. As it turned out, it didn't matter as Mack dominated the line of scrimmage and the Bears won 20-0.

Poles sees promise despite the fact Leatherwood failed to live up to initial  NFL expectations.

"I think the big thing is going back, talented player, physically gifted for sure," Poles said. "Prototype in his size and movement.

"I think we all believe in player development here, and we've put pieces in place to allow players to be their best selves. So we're going to approach that in many different ways, and we're going to give him an opportunity to develop and grow. Forget the draft pick thing. That's over. So let's start from the ground floor. Let's build you up and take your time and whatever that is, we want to put him in the best position to succeed. (Offensive line coach ) Chris Morgan and his staff and everyone around, from the weight room, we're going to give it everything we've got."

That includes offensive line coach Austin King, who was with the Raiders five years and coached Leatherwood last year.

"Yeah, cool because he was a great assistant at the Raiders, so it's always great to see a face that you've seen before and stuff like that," Leatherwood said.

He also has another familiar face in Nicholas Morrow, who was with the Raiders last year but didn't play in the regular season due to a foot injury.

Any bit of familiarity helps when you're the new player in town trying to learn a new playbook as quickly as possible.

"Just all depends on how long it takes to get the language and stuff like that," Leatherwood said. "I mean, it's all ball at the end of the day, but it's just about the terminology, just getting used to it and stuff like that. Trying to be a student."

Leatherwood was off the plane at midnight and getting a physical and uniform Thursday morning before taking part in his hfirst practice.

He wasn't about to trash the Raiders upon leaving, even though that would be easy for any player cast off by their old team.

"Regardless, it's not really my concern," Leatherwood said. "I'm more concerned with the future and the things that I've got going on here now."

Which is...

"I'll be here to give my best effort," he said. "And, hey, I'm committed to this organization and this city. Bear Down."