To some extent, you make your own luck. Makes me wonder about the training crew
Offensive linemen drop like flies now at the NFL level. So I'm not so surprised by the injuries. But I am disappointed with the quality of the depth there. I understand you don't have starter quality depth players, and that's why they ARE depth players. But we have two issues on the Bears team OL. The starters are not very good to begin with, and the depth player talent isn't what it should be either.
I will always believe that Poles went into this season gambling that he had duct-taped the OL to the point that the starters & depth would be just good enough to get by until he could fix the unit in 2025. The unit needs a major renovation with the new coaching staff that is probably going to be here next year. That's my guess. This isn't a situation where you can get a player or two and call it good next year. Teams typically carry 9 offensive linemen. I look at our existing roster and would guess the only "lock" to remain is Wright because he is a young 1st round draft pick. An argument (may) be made to keep Baxton Jones. Probably need to keep Amegadjie as a development player. Other than that I don't see any players who should be an absolute "must keep" in 2025. Will the new regime keep another player or two? Maybe. But when I do the math (admittedly I'm a fingers & toes math guy)... it sure looks like the team needs more than a couple of players added next year. And hopefully it will not be these "hope and a prayer" guys who rarely turn out any good. They need to pump some serious resources into getting quality OL players for the new coaching staff. JMO.
I'd add one more point regarding the offensive line woes. It is best to invest in the unit (looking at the 9 player unit) every off-season. If you keep the talent level high by continually taking care of the talent level, then you don't get into a crisis-mode where the next year is one where you have to add a number of new guys. I've read that the ideal is to never have to add more than 1 new starter on the OL in a given year - because these guys need to gel as a unit. We don't have the necessary talent level to gel much here now. It's frustrating to see where we are at now, with the OL. And it will be even more frustrating if the team simply duct tapes the unit again with journeymen who are mediocre players at best.
I'd add one more point regarding the offensive line woes. It is best to invest in the unit (looking at the 9 player unit) every off-season. If you keep the talent level high by continually taking care of the talent level, then you don't get into a crisis-mode where the next year is one where you have to add a number of new guys. I've read that the ideal is to never have to add more than 1 new starter on the OL in a given year - because these guys need to gel as a unit. We don't have the necessary talent level to gel much here now. It's frustrating to see where we are at now, with the OL. And it will be even more frustrating if the team simply duct tapes the unit again with journeymen who are mediocre players at best.
All the more maddening when Poles is an OL guy, really bizarre.
