Sometime ago, based on the premise that the five best offensive linemen would play, it was suggested here the decision on whether to move two-time Pro Bowl right guard Kyle Long to right tackle could ultimately turn less on Long, but rather on whether Jordan Mills was a better tackle than Vladimir Ducasse was a right guard.
The makeup of the right side of the Chicago offensive line may come down to just that. Long is not expected to play Thursday against the Cleveland Browns, but Mills and Ducasse, a six-year veteran with 11 starts that included six for the Minnesota Vikings last year, are expected to play enough to make the coaches’ decision for them.
And if neither is good enough, both the Bears’ personnel and coaching staffs need to get seriously innovative. Fast.
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As training camp opened it appeared that the core of the offensive line, which functioned with such promise in 2013, was back in place. The Bears were getting the band back together again.
Now with one preseason game and just a handful of practices before the Bears face Clay Matthews, Julius Peppers and the Green Bay Packers defense, the band is anything but together.
“We’ve got options,” coach John Fox said. “We’ve got guys we’re looking at. To say it’s perfectly settled at this point, probably not the case, but I think that’s the case at a lot of positions.”
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The situation at right tackle is once again an unknown after Charles Leno Jr. appeared to play his way out of the starting job the past two Saturdays. Mills, who lost the job to Leno during training camp, has a chance to reclaim it.
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But the situation is more complicated than that.
Long has taken practice snaps at guard and tackle through this offseason but virtually none at tackle since the start of training camp. That does not preclude Long becoming the Bears’ starting right tackle for 2015, because his coach doesn’t think it’s too late for a change.
“They have to practice before they play.” Fox said, “He’s had plenty of practice at both guard and tackle.”
Loose translation: Fox and staff believe Long is sufficiently up to speed to play either.