The Chicago Bears have a number of positional needs heading into the offseason, and the offensive line is near the top of the list.
New general manager Ryan Poles stressed an emphasis on the offensive line this offseason, which means finding stability at the tackle position and within the interior. Sam Mustipher isn’t the answer at center, which means the Bears need to find one. And there are several candidates in free agency.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler and Matt Bowen did a deep dive on the best fits for the top 50 pending free agents on the market. Among those is Rams center Brian Allen, who is considered to be among the top centers hitting free agency. Oh, and he’s also from the Chicagoland area.
Why it makes sense: O-line, O-line, O-line. The Bears’ new GM, Ryan Poles, was an offensive lineman at Boston College and just helped the Chiefs rebuild their offensive line as part of Kansas City’s front office. The 49ers could be a sleeper here though, too. Alex Mack is a candidate to retire, and the 49ers’ and Rams’ offenses employ similar run-game/play-action principles. — Fowler
Scheme fit: Allen is a smart, positional blocker who can climb off combos and get up to the linebacker level. That fits what I expect to be a zone-heavy run game approach in Luke Getsy’s new offensive system. — Bowen
According to Spotrac, Allen is expected to cost $5.6 million per year, which is among the more affordable at his position. But the Bears will have to decide if their answer at center is currently on the roster — be it shifting Cody Whitehair to center — or if they’d rather target center in the offseason.
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