What a crazy journey this guy has had. He went from an exciting early 2nd round pick to an injury disappointment, to a second stringer that was rumored to be traded away, to a starting G and, without doubt, the best offensive lineman on the team. I have two questions: 1) What happened to have him in the staff's doghouse in the first place, and why was he listed as second string / rumored to be traded? Was it just because the team was taking a "tough love" approach to motivating him? Or was it because they have some genuine difficulties with talent evaluation? I very much doubt Poles' ability to evaluate talent right now, personally, but I know (believe) that Jenkins' spot on the team was the coaching staff's call, so that's separate. 2) Where does he play next year? He has the makings of an elite player on the line. He's the type of guy this team needs. But you've obviously got holes all over that line, and he is still the same guy the projected at OT coming out of the draft. I always thought he was more RT than LT, and I think that's more likely where he'd land, if not at G. He is FAST. Yes, he's strong, but he's very athletic as well. You guys see him blocking out in space? He can run. I guess I just wonder, projecting this team forward, if they're in need of two OT's, or if Jenkins can hold down and OT spot and they can find someone else at G. That might simplify the search in the off-season, since it's hard enough to find one starting OT, let alone two. Trying to shift the focus to the bright spots on the team, where I can. He's certainly been one.
I want to see more of Alex Leatherwood as he had only 10 snaps this last game, and 10 snaps don't define a future, but he looked solid on the right side. He had some good footwork, and technique, and anchored well in pass protection and that was his big rap with the Raiders.
I like the guy a lot....I think you leave him right where he's at. Like Tuna...I also want to see more of Leatherwood at T as well. What to make of the Bears offensive line going into next season is hard. A new center is a must. No doubt. I want a new LT but the Bears seem to really like Jones. If Elgton Jenkins is a FA....there's absolutely no excuse for Poles not to make him a top priority.
Re Jenkins specifically there's really no question he's the best OL on the team based on his play, so we know that whatever has been going this season it isnt linked to game tape. I do recall reading murmurings about attitude during the pre draft process but others here may know more about that one way or the other. Wouldn't surprise me at all if Jenkins has been displaying pushback during the week, whether thats running his mouth at coaches, not displaying hustle or whatever they want. Whatever it is the problem has clearly been Tuesday to Friday. People prob have their own views on this HITS principle Eberflus bangs on about, personally i think its jingoistic and very self help book. In large group settings perhaps even a tad culty. One thing i know, is these kind of programs whatever their spiel always tend to be very inflexible and highly conformity based. Ok great, but please understand that won't work for everybody. My hunch is Jenkins is not a self help book kinda guy. In management terms he's one of those employees that is more work than others. Hey, you get em sometimes. Some football players will run thru a brick wall for anyone and never question a single thing, ever. Those guys never give coaches a sleepless night their whole careers. Others need to be managed, they require a HC really earn their paycheck to get the best out of them. This kinda thing is exactly why Brandon Marshall was run out of town when he still had some really good football in him. It comes down to people management and you have to be prepared to work. John Fox was to over the hill and probably lacking in drive to do that with Marshall. Eberflus? Can't say fo rsure yet, but i can say i really dont like how he's managed Jenkins so far. That rotating G's crap was idiotic and did NOT help the team, which should be the point. It would be just like the Bears to trade their best OL(who they traded up for dont forget) and make a dogcrap group somehow worse. It would tell me a great deal about Eberflus and his ability to manage his locker room.
As for the O-Line overall, that's Poles' job and so far i sure as shit am not impressed. Genuinely i have really low expectations here and actually try not to think about the O-Line cos its been a huge problem forever and is the part of the team that depresses me the most. - Sam Mustphukup shouldn't have made the initial 90man roster let alone anything else. Its all there in his tape from last season. and he may even look more lost this year somehow. That alone gives me no faith in Poles. - I've become pretty convinced they are gonna commit to Braxton Jones for the foreseeable future. He may actually have been less bad this last few games, but thats a low bar. I would move off him but i think the brain trust will decide he's an "ascending player" and voila, you have one less hole to fill. - Whitehair has too big a dead cap hit next year to cut. I know technically they could do it with ease with this much cap space, but its not good management really. I don't see him getting traded so he's back imo. - Jenkins fuck knows. - RT: I'm over Borom and Reiff is too old to build around(and is nothing special anyway). Agree with you guys about Leatherwood, if it was me i'd tell him he has a 4 game opportunity to state his case for the starter job next season, or at least confirm putting some more dev time into him so he can compete next year. He'd need to be pretty amazing to become the plan tbh, im looking at $'s going on the position in FA. But at least give yourself options. He needs to play to become a potential option. I've got the line next year looking like this: Jones-Whitehair-Patrick-Jenkins(fingers crossed)-FA /mid low round draft pick.
I think Ev hit the nail on the head, he's likely a guy that's going to have to be managed different, and I'm not sure Eberflus has the flexibility to do it. The rotating guards BS, demoting him, looking to trade him, he's a good player so it's got to be attitude / approach / practice. I hate it when they continue to move people around. He is having success where he's at. I'm not opposed to RT as you've been beating that drum forever, but it'll be another transition period, so if they were going to do it, why not now? Mustipher is apparently a FA this year. And the saddest part is I could see them re-signing him for "depth". I am not a fan. At all. I am concerned here too, but going to be patient and see what happens. Taking that chance, on the MOST IMPORTANT POSITION ON THE LINE is such a goddamn Bears thing to do too. I think it was Hoge and Jahns where they said they think the brain trust is going to think he's "good enough" with all the other holes to fill, ala Leno. What bothers me the most about it though, is that Poles was a lineman and supposedly had an eye for it. If you see Jones protecting the future of the franchise.....I mean. I don't know what to say really. Fields can run for his life during his time here?
Hit the nail on the head with the "goddamn Bears thing to do". Jones may be serviceable at the present time, but probably not starter caliber. The way I see serviceable is he probably won't lose you games, but he certainly won't win you any. You can't approach this position with that attitude and then move it down on the priority list, but Goddamn it, it's the Bears thing to do. The good ones never seem to hit the FA market, because teams understand the importance of that position and how hard it is to fill. I'd like to see the Bears trade down twice in the first and into the teens and collect a bounty of picks and still draft Skoronski. Let them both go to camp and fight for the position. Locking in on a position may be a meatball thing to do, but it would show me they are serious about building this team as they are protecting Fields.
Of all the Bears related moves i've suggested over the years, one i really wish would've happened was for Pace to have had the brains to offer the Deadskins a straight LT swap in 2018. Leno for Trent Williams sounded ludicrous on the surface, except that it was actually the exact opposite of ludicrous once you bored down into it. Williams was and is a top3 LT, in fact he's graded as the #1 LT in the league this season. And he could've been making Fields life way easier this last two seasons SMH.
I'm pretty sure they did. I made a long post about it at the time and while im too lazy to go search it out i wouldn't have bothered constructing the premise in the first place if it was an immediate non starter due to cap. Also the Bears weren't in bad spots re cap at that time particularly, it was Pace's later years that became a major problem. Also Leno had got his extension by this point so he wasn't on 7th rounder money anymore. Im gonna say he was about the 10th-12th highest paid LT in the league when he signed that deal so his cap hit, while not enormous, would've been fairly significant and in the event of a trade that would've gone with him to Was creating further cap room to allow a move for Williams. But its all by the by now i guess.
Jenkins was a center in school, all he ever saw at this level was at guard. I'm not saying move him to center, but at least he has some flexibility at the position while the Bears try to solve that custerfuck position.
