Bears Sniffing Around Possible Charles Leno Replacement
The Chicago Bears have questions on the offensive line. That much was obvious after the way 2019 ended. Blocking overall was average at best. Pass protection wasn’t great and run blocking was atrocious. The truth is most would agree there are three spots that should be overhauled but only one is likely to get attention due to financial considerations. That being right guard. However, more than a few people wouldn’t mind seeing Charles Leno gone as well.
It was depressing to watch the left tackle last season. He was so good in 2018, having cleaned up his penalty issues and actually looking like more of a force in his blocking. Last year he reverted back to his old self. He finished with 12 penalties, one shy of his career-high and allowed seven quarterback sacks. Not what an offense needs from such a critical spot.
This might explain why the team has interest in Josh Jones of Houston, one of the most notable left tackle talents in the 2020 draft. According to Aaron Wilson of the Houston Chronicle, the two sides have had contact.
“The rising first-round draft prospect from George Bush High School has video conferences with roughly half the NFL.
That includes the hometown Texans as well as the New England Patriots, San Francisco 49ers, Indianapolis Colts, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Chargers, Arizona Cardinals, Tampa Bay Buccaneers, Chicago Bears, Baltimore Ravens, Minnesota Vikings, New York Jets and Green Bay Packers.”
Josh Jones would be a future heir to Charles Leno
There is no question Jones looks like a future left tackle. He’s got the size, strength, mobility, and long arms necessary to handle that job in the NFL. He gained a lot of experience playing the position in college and is only getting better. However, draft experts warn he is going to require some patience as he’ll need work on his fundamentals.
“A four-year starter, Josh Jones demonstrated steady growth across his career at Houston and played his best ball as a senior in 2019. Jones has tremendous physical upside to develop into a quality starter in the NFL but he’ll require a ton of technical work before he can be inserted into the starting lineup. From footwork to hand usage and processing, in many ways, Jones has to be rebuilt.”
While some might not like that, the truth is it’s a perfect setup for the Bears. Leno isn’t going anywhere in 2020. So drafting Jones would be meant as a depth and developmental move. The idea being they use this coming season as a sort of redshirt year to clean up his issues and have him prepared to take over in 2021. It’s not a bad plan as it would ensure their left tackle spot is secure in the long-term without having to throw the rookie out there right away.
Whether Jones lasts to the 43rd overall pick? That’s another thing entirely.