Getty The Bears have added a young OL to help protect QB Justin Fields.
With one preseason game in the books, the Chicago Bears are taking a look at a few available free agent offensive linemen.
According to the NFL’s August 15 waiver wire, the Bears brought in two centers for workouts: former Tulane standout Corey Dublin and former Seattle Seahawks and Indianapolis Colts veteran Joey Hunt. They’re signing Dublin, per his Instagram story:
#Bears signing former Tulane OL Corey Dublin, per Dublin’s Instagram:
The Bears drafted four offensive linemen in 2022, with one, fifth-rounder Braxton Jones, the likely starter at left tackle. They also selected sixth-rounder Zachary Thomas out of San Diego State, Illinois center Doug Kramer and seventh-round OL Ja’Tyre Carter.
All four rookie O-linemen saw action in the team’s 19-14 preseason win over the Kansas City Chiefs, but considering the overall lack of protection around quarterback Justin Fields and the rest of Chicago’s quarterbacks throughout the game, it’s no surprise to see the team looking at available free agents.
Fields was sacked twice and was pressured on 50% of his 18 snaps, while Kansas City amassed 5.0 sacks in the game. Jones played well overall, but veteran free agent Michael Schofield got destroyed on multiple plays, and Shon Coleman struggled on the 62% of offensive snaps he played. With starting center Lucas Patrick still out with a right hand injury, the Bears are looking to add more depth on the line with two preseason contests remaining.
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Corey Dublin: UDFA Out of Tulane
Dublin was part of the team’s rookie minicamp back in early May, and he must have been memorable in some capacity, as Chicago brought him back.
One of the most durable offensive linemen in college football over the last four seasons, Dublin started 61 games (58 regular season starts) over his five years with the Tulane Green Wave. The 6-foot-4, 300-pound OL has predominantly played center, but he has also kicked out to guard when needed.
He went undrafted in the 2022 draft, but he has some traits worth looking at for Chicago. Here’s what The Draft Network’s Tony Pauline had to say about Dublin:
“Nasty small-area blocker who is strong, explosive at the point, and knocks defenders from their angles of attack. Quickly gets into blocks, keeps his head on a swivel, and plays with a nasty attitude.”
‘Nasty’ is a quality Bears general manager Ryan Poles likes in his O-linemen, so Dublin will be one to watch in the upcoming weeks.
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Bears Also Worked Out OL Joey Hunt
The Bears also took a look Hunt, who spent four years in Seattle (one of which was on the practice squad) before playing a lone season for the Colts in 2020.
A sixth-round pick for the Seahawks out of TCU in 2016, the 6-foot-2, 300-pound Hunt played in 35 games for Seattle over his three seasons active, starting 11.
He spent some time on the Colts practice squad in 2021, but he hasn’t played in a regular season game since 2020.
Considering the Bears are signing Dublin, they probably won’t add Hunt, as roster cuts are coming, but it’s clear they’re looking for depth at center.
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