Getty Offensive guard Ryan Bates, formerly of the Buffalo Bills.
The Chicago Bears have generated a good deal of hype with upgrades across nearly every skill position this offseason, but the offense will go only as far as the front five allows.
Opinions on Chicago’s offensive line range from below-average to mediocre to sneaky good and, considering the unknowns, one can make cases for all three characterizations.
Teven Jenkins is a borderline Pro Bowl-caliber left guard when healthy, but he doesn’t have a new contract despite his eligibility for one. Tackles Braxton Jones on the left side and Darnell Wright on the right are entering their third and second NFL seasons, respectively, and the possibility for significant growth exists for both — but that’s no guarantee it will come. Coleman Shelton appears to be an upgrade at center over Lucas Patrick, but he has yet to play a regular-season down for the Bears.
Despite all of those questions begging for answers, the biggest unknown is the right guard position, which ostensibly belongs to Nate Davis.
Davis is entering the second campaign of his three-year, $30 million contract with the Bears and has been hurt most of training camp. Chicago traded a 2024 fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills for Ryan Bates in March and currently has him listed as the co-starter with Shelton at center. However, Bates has played all five of his professional seasons as a guard and is a viable option to challenge the often-injured Davis.
Given the relevant circumstances, Joe Tansey of Bleacher Report predicted on Monday, August 12, that Davis will ultimately lose his job to Bates by the time the regular season rolls around in September.
Ryan Bates Has Been More Reliable Than Nate Davis in Terms of Health
GettyChicago Bears right guard Nate Davis.
Chicago’s most recent unofficial preseason depth chart lists Matt Pryor as the backup to Davis at right guard, though Tansey believes that Bates’ history at the position renders him the best option.
“Nate Davis has not lived up to expectations and that has led to questions regarding his starting spot,” Tansey wrote. “The wise move, at least in Week 1, may be to shift Bates over to right guard, start Shelton at center and figure out Davis’ status on the roster when he gets healthy.”
Bates hasn’t been a regular starter in the league, appearing in 73 total games and earning just 19 starts along the way. But he has been reliable from a health standpoint, playing in 65 of 67 possible contests over the past four campaigns.
Davis, on the other hand, missed six games for the Bears last season after missing five for the Tennessee Titans the year before.
Bears Head Coach Matt Eberflus Sent Message to Nate Davis in Recent Media Session
GettyHead coach Matt Eberflus of the Chicago Bears.
Beyond Davis’ injuries last year and this preseason, his play has been subpar since joining the fray in Chicago.
Davis finished ranked 58th out of 79 offensive guards who saw enough snaps to qualify last season, per Pro Football Focus. PFF assigned Davis a poor run-blocking grade of 55.3 and an abysmal pass-blocking mark of 47.9.
Crucial missed reps this summer also led to Bears head coach Matt Eberflus calling Davis out during an August 6 press conference and bringing his starting role into question.
“If a person’s out for an extended period of time and the player that’s in that position is playing very well, at a starter level, and doing a good job there, then you create competition,” Eberflus said in response to a question about Davis’ injuries. “People say you can’t lose a job because of an injury. I don’t think that’s true.”
Comments
New Bears Arrival Predicted to Steal Starting Job From $30 Million O-Lineman