The Chicago Bears traded Justin Fields and will presumably replace him with Caleb Williams via the No. 1 pick in the NFL draft, but there is a chance history could repeat itself with whomever ends up the team’s next franchise QB.
That was the point made by Hall of Fame running back Eric Dickerson in an interview with Chris Tomasson of the Denver Gazette last week.
“The deal in Chicago with them drafting the kid from USC, Caleb Williams, and getting rid of that quarterback, I think they’re going to have the same situation,” Dickerson said on April 5. “Their offensive line is not good. He’s going to be running for his life.”
Instead, Dickerson suggested the Bears should have traded down and solidified its offensive front, which would have helped maximize the dual-threat that Fields presents to opposing defenses.
“I think they probably should have kept what they had and traded down to get a couple of good offensive linemen because you’ve got to protect what you’ve got,” Dickerson continued. “I think you’ll see the same thing (with Williams) that you saw with Justin Fields. And I don’t think Caleb is as fast as Justin Fields, and he’ll be running for his life.”
Bears Offensive Line Was Solid When Healthy Last Season
GettyLeft tackle Braxton Jones of the Chicago Bears.
Dickerson, who led the NFL in rushing yards four times across his 11-year career, knows more than a thing or two about offensive lines.
He is correct in his assessment that — at the very least — a functioning offensive line is critical to any team’s success, particularly when led by a rookie quarterback. That said, his criticism of Chicago’s O-line last season and into this year isn’t entirely fair.
According to Zoltán Buday of Pro Football Focus, the Bears finished last season with the 19th-best line out of 32 teams in the league. While that is slightly below average, the unit was impacted by injuries significant enough to moderately skew the sample.
“Key players Braxton Jones, Teven Jenkins and Nate Davis all missed time early in the season, which took a toll on the Bears’ offensive line,” Buday wrote on January 10. “Once the young group was at full strength, it flashed enough promise to make Bears fans optimistic about the future. During the front five’s best stretch, between Week 6 and Week 14, it ranked 13th in pass-blocking efficiency.”
Bears Offensive Line Should Improve Meaningfully in 2024
GettyRight tackle Darnell Wright of the Chicago Bears.
Jenkins was borderline elite last season, finishing ranked 14th at the guard position out of 79 players who qualified, per PFF. Jones, a fifth-round pick in 2022, also graded out as an above-average tackle while playing on the left side in just his second professional season.
Chicago spent the 10th pick in last year’s draft on right tackle Darnell Wright, who should improve to some degree during his second NFL campaign. The team also owns the rights to the No. 9 pick in this year’s draft, along with the first overall selection, and could either select a top offensive lineman in that spot or trade back for more picks and grab one later in the round/draft.
Finally, the Bears parted ways with center Lucas Patrick, considered by Buday as one of the unit’s weak links in 2023. Chicago replaced him with Coleman Shelton in free agency and also traded a fifth-round pick to the Buffalo Bills in exchange for Ryan Bates to add depth along the front.
Some of Justin Fields’ Biggest Issues Are Caleb Williams’ Greatest Strengths
GettyFormer Chicago Bears quarterback Justin Fields.
Ultimately, the Bears are a team on the rise, and that includes the offensive line. However, even if Fields remained in Chicago behind a more unified and capable front, the concerns about his play wouldn’t have magically disappeared.
The team’s three-year starter is unquestionably one of the most dangerous rushers of the football at the position that the game has ever seen. But his vision downfield and decision-making created problems for the passing attack even when the offensive line gave him time to throw.
Williams, on the other hand, is already elite in some ways as a future rookie that Fields struggles with after several years inside an NFL system, while also possessing some of the elusiveness that has made Fields special at times.
“Williams is a fabulous playmaker, and there are ‘wow’ throws all over his tape, even going back to his freshman season at Oklahoma,” Mel Kiper Jr. of ESPN wrote on April 5. “He’s incredible escaping the pocket and making off-platform throws, excelling when plays break down. His improvisational skills are off the charts — it’s incredible how he can make the first defender miss and create first downs out of thin air. He has great field vision and throws dimes to receivers while under duress. He’s incredibly creative, which is not something we can usually say of quarterbacks.”
