Chicago Bears Finally Trying Jenkins Out At Guard

In a move that many expected to happen a long time ago, the Chicago Bears moved Teven Jenkins over to right guard to see how he performs there.

One thing that has been going around the Chicago Bears training camp is drama. They have drama with linebacker Roquan Smith, who wants a big new deal after his rookie one expires. He asked for a trade and now we’ll see what happens later during camp.

Another drama that the team is dealing with is the Teven Jenkins situation. Jenkins was supposed to be the long-term answer at left tackle when the Chicago Bears drafted him last year. However, he got injured and missed most of the season.

Then, with the new regime in, Jenkins found himself bouncing around. During minicamps and OTAs, he found himself from left tackle to right tackle. He worked with the starters, but then found himself with the second team.

Through it all, there were rumors that he clashed with the new coaches. His maturity came into question. Then the team fielded calls from other teams looking for a trade.

Finally, though, Jenkins started working in training camp. He ended up playing in the Bears’ first preseason game and, despite a costly penalty (something that hounded the offensive line last season), he held his own at right tackle.

Around Full Press Coverage

OPINION: Browns Quarterback Deshaun Watson Suspended Six Games

NFL: 2022 NFL Breakout Candidates: NFC North

NFL: NFL Rumors: Ndamukong Suh, Sean Payton, Sunday Ticket

FULL PRESS BETS: Early 2022 NFL MVP Odds: Bills’ Josh Allen Favored

FANTASY FOOTBALL: Fantasy Football Value Picks In Every Round

PODCAST: Full Press NFL Weekly Ep 39: Ep 39: Quarterback Contracts, Hill vs Adams, Top 5 QB

No place for Jenkins?

The problem with Jenkins at right tackle is that the coaches already have someone there they like — Larry Borom. Borom worked at right tackle last season and during the offseason camps. He has done well there so he is the likely starter there.

With the Bears signing Riley Reiff just before the start of training camp and seeing rookie Braxton Jones do well in the first preseason game, that spot is pretty much handled. It appears that Jenkins doesn’t have a spot in which he could take over as a starter.

One thing we saw in the first preseason game was that Michael Schofield, another late signing that general manager Ryan Poles made, struggled mightily. It was just the first game, but he looked more like a rookie in his first game than Jones did.

Perhaps Schofield’s performance gave the coaches a reason to pause. Schofield was considered the favorite to start at right guard. Maybe his performance opened the door for Jenkins.

The Bears decided to try Jenkins out at right guard. It was a move that many people around the league felt should have been made a long time ago. A great many draft experts felt that Jenkins would be better to kick inside to guard.

Offensive coordinator Luke Getsy‘s system puts a lot on the interior linemen. That, and considering Jenkins spent his time as a tackle, puts even more on him. It says a lot that the coaches feel Jenkins could handle that.

Getsy feels that Jenkins has the ability to do what is needed from him to handle the guard spot.

Well, I think the one thing in our system, I think I said this before is that guards get stressed mentally more than tackles do in this system. So, he’s someone that can, that’s the strength of his game and so we want to try that and see what that looks like within what we’re trying to get done.

It’s good to see Jenkins get his shot on the line. Having him there, along with Borom, Lucas Patrick, and eventually Jones, the Chicago Bears offensive line could actually be on its way to becoming an asset and not a liability anymore.