After losing free agent offensive lineman Dakota Dozier for the year to a torn ACL, the Chicago Bears are bringing a seasoned veteran O-lineman in for a tryout.
The Bears hosted former Los Angeles Chargers starter Michael Schofield, according to the NFL’s July 24 waiver wire. A seven-year NFL vet, Schofield played in 15 games for the Chargers last season, starting 12. He earned a 75.2 pass blocking grade from Pro Football Focus, allowing 24 total pressures, four QB hits and two sacks in 907 offensive snaps.
Schofield played 897 snaps at right guard in 2021, and with Chicago’s current issues at that position, he’d likely line up there should the team choose to sign him. While Schofield has played primarily at RG, he also has logged 1,359 snaps at right tackle, 140 at left guard and 102 at left tackle, so he’d be a versatile presence if first-year general manager Ryan Poles decides to sign him.
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Schofield Would Be Reliable Plug-In Starter for Bears
Schofield has played in 102 games over his career, starting 81. A third-round draft pick for the Denver Broncos (95th overall) out of Michigan in 2014, Schofield was a starter on Denver’s Super Bowl-winning squad in 2016. He spent three years with the Chargers after the Super Bowl 50 win, from 2017 to 2019, and he landed in Carolina with the Panthers for a lone season in 2020.
The 31-year-old veteran O-lineman returned to the Chargers for a second stint last year, and he’d be a great pick up for a Bears team in desperate need of help when it comes to protecting QB Justin Fields. He’s both reliable and a savvy vet on the line. Schofield had three flags thrown in his direction in 2021 and he hasn’t had more than three penalties called against him in a single season since 2017.
He also has no huge red flags injury-wise. Other than a stint on the COVID-19/reserve list in 2020, Schofield has remained healthy and ready to play — which is exactly what the Bears need right now.
Schofield also has local ties. He was born in Orland Park, Illinois, so heading to the Windy City would be a homecoming of sorts for him.
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Schofield Would Be Instant Favorite to Start at RG
Schofield would likely be competing against Sam Mustipher for the starting spot at right guard, but with the questions Chicago currently has at O-line, it’s possible he would line up elsewhere, too.
Mustipher played over 1,000 snaps at center for the Bears last year, so RG is not his most familiar position. If the Bears did add the 6-foot-6, 301-pound Schofield, he’d surely be the favorite to start over Mustipher, who would likely be swapped out of the starting lineup and serve as a backup center/guard.
As it stands, veterans Cody Whitehair and Lucas Patrick will start at left guard and center, respectively, while 2021 fifth-rounder Larry Borom is the favorite to start at right tackle. Teven Jenkins, a 2021 second-rounder, and Braxton Jones, a 2022 fifth-rounder, will compete for the starting spot at left tackle, and Mustipher is set to play RG. With options waning as training camps kick off around the league, Schofield’s experience feels just like what the Bears’ line needs.
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Bears Bring Super Bowl-Winning Veteran With Local Ties in for Tryout