Chris Williams and J’Marcus Webb: Chicago Bears Must Trade Loser of LT Battle
Published by Brett Solesky on August 18, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Chris Williams and J’Marcus Webb are battling for the Chicago Bears’ starting left-tackle position, and the loser is going to be relegated to being the backup, swing-tackle option.
Neither Webb nor Williams is a desirable backup option, given how poorly they’ve performed as starting right tackles in the past.
The Bears failed with the Frank Omiyale experiment at RT last year, and in 2009 Williams failed at RT before being shifted to the LT spot, where he played some of his best football.
James Brown is a rookie who has practiced well at both OT spots in camp and may deserve a chance to make the 53-man roster.
What makes a trade possible is the recent injury to Levi Brown, starting LT of the Arizona Cardinals. Suddenly the Cardinals need a starter-level OT, and both Webb and Williams would arguably be upgrades over or at the very least on the same level as Brown.
The Bears may not get much in a trade for either Williams or Webb, but they would get something, and it would give James Brown the chance to develop.
Williams may be the likely candidate, since he’s in the last year of his rookie contract and could leave in free agency after this season.
If Williams can finally beat out Webb for the LT spot, then Bears fans would be more than happy to trade Webb for anything.
The key in all of this is how Brown performs during these next three preseason games. Brown is playing for a roster spot now more than ever. He needs to prove he can perform at a high level, the level of a backup OT. If he’s versatile as both a right and left tackle, then his value to the Bears becomes even clearer.
With both Williams and Webb as experienced veterans, Brown may seem like a logical target for the practice squad, but he may not make it to the practice squad if he is cut.
The Arizona Cardinals have a need that the Bears can fulfill, and it is time for the Bears to move on from one of the two failures that have been Williams and Webb.
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