First Cut Downs Begins, Ten Waived...................

I wish I knew.  From his previous plan early this year it would seem the plan was to go with the younger guys on the OL; Leno, Whitehair, and Grasu on the left side and at OC and back them with Ramirez/OC and Larsen/OG and then a swing OT in Childers.  That looked like a very good plan because all three vets had significant starting experience at their primary position.

Then Ramirez retires and Childers retires too and Grasu goes out for the year with a knee injury and the whole plan was in shreds.  Pace tries to rinse and repeat with vet backups signing Holmes/OC, and Silatolu/OG and Adams/OT.  But Holmes hasn't been around long enough to learn the line calls and he marginal player to begin with.  Silatolu and Adams are both coming off major surgeries, haven't played for quite a while, and don't know the blocking scheme yet.

So once again were nearly at the end of preseason and once again the OL situation is as unsettled as it was a year ago and we still don't know when Long can return.  I can't blame Pace any more for that than I can Cutler for AJ dropping a big pass or KW for not knowing which way to turn on a pass route.  The initial plan is shot in the ass and so far Plan B isn't working.

An even bigger problem is by now thinking teams will release any OL who can help us much is a pipe dream and the pipe is probably empty too.  I don't expect to find any starting caliber vet backup OL this late in the game and my guess is neither do Fox and Pace.  So once again we'll be stuck with half a POS OL until we can get some of these guy healthier and more prepared to play even though we tried very hard not to let that happen again.

I think the only solution in the long run may be massive overkill on OL in 2017 FA and the draft.  We need to be the ones letting good OL go instead of constantly being on a hunt for them.

I don't think Royal does anything for the Bears long term unless he can play well and the Bears trade him. He is not going to help the Bears go anywhere this year, the team just isn't good enough yet. I prefer to get younger guys experience. If anything can come from a crappy year it's gaining valuable experience for players you plan on keeping for years to come.