Getty Head coach Matt Eberflus of the Chicago Bears.
Ja’Tyre Carter has been one of the most pleasant surprises for the Chicago Bears over the last two seasons, but one NFL analyst and former team scout has labelled the young offensive lineman a potential cut candidate.
Former Bears director of college scouting, Greg Gabriel, who currently serves as an analyst for SB Nation’s Windy City Gridiron, compiled a short list of three offensive players on the roster bubble. Gabriel believes running back Khalil Herbert could be a trade candidate, which has been a prevailing rumor since the team added D’Andre Swift. He named swing tackle Larry Borom and Carter as two players sitting firmly on the bubble.
Carter has filled in admirably for veteran right guard Nate Davis, who missed six games in 2023. “Coming from an FCS-level school, he was raw but also very talented. He may be one of the better pure athletes in the Bears’ offensive line group,” Gabriel wrote about Carter on July 21.
“During the off-season program, he lined up with the second and third string,” Gabriel added. “Newcomers Ryan Bates, Coleman Shelton, and Matt Pryor were getting a high percentage of reps at guard when Davis wasn’t practicing. Unless Carter really plays well in the preseason, he may be gone in September.”
Will Chicago Bears Cut OL Ja’Tyre Carter?
If Carter stays healthy and plays well throughout training camp, he could make a strong case for himself. While Borom is more experienced than Carter, (he has played in 39 games and started 23, while Carter has appeared in 13 and started two), Borom is a draft pick from the previous regime.
Carter, on the other hand, was selected by current Bears general manager Ryan Poles. Despite being a seventh-round selection, he has played surprisingly well.
Carter played 100 pass rush snaps last year, allowing one sack and four hurries (numbers via Pro Football Focus). He has taken 190 snaps at right guard over his two seasons in Chicago and was on the field for 27% of the team’s offensive snaps last season, which is a decent-sized contribution. Still, that may not be enough, according to Gabriel, who also had this to say about Carter:
“During the first half of the season, when he got his most playtime, he looked good. We could easily see his natural talent. But for some reason, Carter fell out of favor with the coaching staff. While he started some games and played often in others, by the end of the season, he wasn’t even dressing. Why’s that? None of us has the answer.”
The 6-foot-3, 311-pound O-lineman has been putting work in this offseason, so we’ll see if his game looks better in Year 3.
Bears Bolstered Their O-Line This Offseason.
The Bears have done a decent job of bolstering the depth of their O-line this offseason. In addition to drafting rookie tackle Kiran Amegadjie in the third round, Chicago added veteran tackles Matt Pryor and Jake Curhan in free agency this offseason.
Chicago also traded for offensive lineman Ryan Bates and added veteran Coleman Shelton to compete for the starting center job. Whichever loses that competition will serve as a backup guard, which the Bears will need, particularly with Davis missing so much time last year.
Gabriel isn’t wrong to believe several of the team’s newer veteran additions could force Carter off — all are far more experienced. But there’s a lot to like about Carter’s potential. It’ll be interesting to see how training camp plays out for him in particular.