This offseason, the offensive line had to be a priority for the Bears. In the early wave of free hands, the Bears were outbid for right tackle Mike McGlinchey and watched Jawaan Taylor sign with the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs.
General manager Ryan Poles finally got into the trenches when he agreed to sign guard Nate Davis to a three-year, million-dollar deal, sources confirmed to NBC Sports Chicago. NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport was the first to report on the move.
The addition of Davis is interesting for the Bears.
A four-year starter for the Tennessee Titans, Davis has always been a consistent run blocker, routinely reaching the second level in the Tennessee zoning scheme.
But it’s the leap into pass protection last season that paid Davis.
After conceding 85 pressings and 13 sacks in his first three seasons, Davis gave up just 14 pressings and three sacks in 2022 and earned a career-best pass blocking score of 66.8 from ProFootballFocus.
Davis raises questions about his suitability for the Bears’ offensive line puzzle.
Davis has only played right guard during his four-year career.
The Poles and head coach Matt Eberflus were compliments on Teven Jenkins and his move to right-back last season. Jenkins gave up just two sacks and 12 pressings in 13 games.
Will Davis start with right guard? Will the Bears ask him to play left guard and either move Cody Whitehair to center or cut him down and save nearly a million? If the Bears want Davis to start at right, what does that mean for Jenkins’ future in Chicago?
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The Bears still have work to do to strengthen the offensive line in front of quarterback Justin Fields.
Chicago was included with McGlinchey but was outbid by the Broncos. Will the Bears turn their attention to Kaleb McGary or attack Orlando Brown?
After trading the No. 1 to the Carolina Panthers, the Bears now sit at No. 9 in what seems like the perfect place to pick a left tackle. If the Bears attack at No. 9, what does that mean for Braxton Jones?
The Bears offensive line was a disaster in 2022. Davis’ new addition gives them a quality starter inside. But there is still work to be done and questions to be answered before Unity 2023 takes shape.
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