How Moving Kyle Long to Tackle Can Solidify the Chicago Bears Offensive Line
Published by Matt Eurich on March 4, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Kyle Long may be a two-time Pro Bowl guard, but he can help solidify Chicago’s offensive line if the Bears move him to tackle this offseason.
He was drafted 20th overall by the Bears back in 2013, and many, including Long, were surprised they drafted him that high.
“I didn’t expect to go this high in the draft, and I’m just very excited to join an organization with such a great history and such a great fanbase,” Long said at the time, via Jeff Dickerson of ESPN Chicago.
While Long had all the measurables to play in the NFL, there were concerns about his lack of experience because he only made a handful of starts at Oregon.
Phil Emery, Chicago’s general manager at the time, was excited about Long’s ability to play a multitude of positions.
“He is the type of athlete and player that we have targeted—(a) fast, tough, dynamic athlete,” Emery said in a press conference when the Bears drafted Long. “He’s going to start out a guard, (but) we feel he can be a starting right tackle. We (also) feel he can be a good left tackle.”
He began training camp that July as the starter at right guard and never looked back. He started all 16 games in 2013 and became the first Bears rookie to make the Pro Bowl since Johnny Knox in 2009.
According to Pro Football Focus, Long finished his rookie season with a minus-1.7 grade, but he gave up just two sacks and committed only three penalties.
He returned as the starter at right guard last season and finished as Pro Football Focus‘ 12th-best guard with a plus-12.1 grade. He did not give up a sack in 1,024 snaps and allowed just two quarterback hits and 13 quarterback hurries.
While Long was having success at guard, 2013 fifth-round pick Jordan Mills was struggling at right tackle.
Mills was thrust into a starting role as a rookie and finished the season as Pro Football Focus‘ third-worst tackle with a minus-36.2 grade. He started all 16 games and gave up three sacks, 13 quarterback hits and a league-high 62 quarterback hurries.
Injuries forced Mills to miss three games last season, but he still gave up six sacks, six quarterback hits and 31 quarterback hurries in 839 snaps, via Pro Football Focus.
The Bears could look in free agency or the draft to improve the right tackle position, but they may have a better option already on the roster in Long.
“He’s very athletic and he’s very well-rounded,” general manager Ryan Pace said at the combine about Long, via Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I think he can play multiple positions on the offensive line.”
Long also feels like he is athletic enough to play on the outside, but he knows he would need to get plenty of reps at the position.
“I feel like I am athletic enough to play tackle,” Long said late last season, via Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune. “But it is not like you can just throw someone out there and say, ‘He is going to have success.’ The reps are really important (in) getting comfortable with what you are trying to do.”
In addition to his athleticism, Long also has the strength and physicality to be a force on the outside.
“He’s big and he’s physical, very aggressive and a strong player,” said Cincinnati Bengals defensive tackle Geno Atkins about Long, via Dickerson. “And by watching him, you can tell he likes to get after defensive linemen. He likes to get off, be aggressive and show his strength.”
Under Chicago’s previous regime, a bigger emphasis was placed on the interior of the offensive line as opposed to the tackle positions, but Bleacher Report’s Dan Pompei thinks the new regime will be more willing to try Long at tackle.
Prior to the 2013 draft, Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller compared Long to New England Patriots left tackle Nate Solder.
If the Bears do move Long from guard to tackle, the biggest adjustment for him will be getting used to playing on an island instead of being boxed in on both sides by a center and tackle when playing guard.
“I like guard because you are in a phone booth with another guy,” Long said, via Biggs. “You get to be athletic while you still get to be powerful.”
There is little doubt that Long is powerful. But his greatest strength is his athleticism, and that would be better utilized with him playing on the outside.
His athleticism was on full display on Thanksgiving Day when the Bears took on the Detroit Lions.
Early in the first quarter, the Bears ran a simple screen pass to running back Matt Forte, and Long helped clear the way on Forte’s 22-yard catch-and-run.
After engaging with his man at the line of scrimmage (pictured above), Long was able to shed defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh and work his way to the second level.
As a tackle, Long would not be expected to be a lead blocker on screen passes often, but the play above shows he has the athleticism, speed and footwork to combat some of the league’s best defensive ends if he were to move to the outside.
There would be a learning curve for Long if he moves to tackle, but his size (6’6″, 313 lbs), strength and athleticism all lend well to the position. While moving him to the outside would initially weaken the interior of the offensive line, the move could open up an opportunity for the Bears to see if Michael Ola can build off a solid rookie season. Or it could allow the team to look at the position in free agency.
Additionally, moving Long to right tackle in 2015 could help pave the way for him to eventually move to left tackle after Jermon Bushrod’s contract expires following the 2017 season.
After an average first season in Chicago in 2013, Bushrod struggled in 2014. According to Pro Football Focus, he gave up five sacks, nine quarterback hits and 31 quarterback hurries in 14 games. If he struggles again in 2015—and Long shows promise at right tackle—the Bears could cut Bushrod after the season and save $4.3 million, per Over the Cap, and then move Long to left tackle.
There would likely be some struggles along the way, but a move to tackle by Long would help stabilize the offensive line moving forward and would help him maximize his potential.
“[He’s an] unbelievable talent,” quarterback Jay Cutler said about Long, via Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times. “I think he’ll agree that he’s got so much more room to grow.”
If the Bears decide to move Long to tackle this offseason, he has a chance to not only solidify Chicago’s offensive line for the future, but he also has a chance to develop into one of the league’s best offensive tackles.
Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com unless otherwise noted.
Matt Eurich is an NFL/Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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