Chicago Bears Finally Secure Badly-Needed Help At Center
People weren’t comfortable with the idea of Ryan Bates being the only option for the Chicago Bears at center going into this season. Well, that won’t be the case. The team has signed another. This time it is Coleman Shelton, who started several games in Los Angeles for the Rams under Sean McVay. He has experience in the type of wide-zone system new offensive coordinator Shane Waldron wants to run. While nobody would confuse him for a star, he was a big part of helping L.A. get back to the playoffs last season.
Across the past two years, Shelton has logged over 1,000 pass-blocking snaps. In that time, he allowed 47 pressures and six sacks. Not too bad for somebody with his limited experience. However, he truly shined last year in the running game, earning a 74.6 grade from Pro Football Focus. He was a big reason L.A. ranked a respectable 11th in rushing and running back Kyren Williams made the Pro Bowl. At the very least, he can be a dependable short-term option for the Bears until they’re in a better spot to find an answer in the draft.
It also should allow Bates to fulfill his ideal purpose as a primary backup.
The Chicago Bears continue to narrow their focus ahead of the draft.
This move doesn’t necessarily mean they won’t draft a center, but it’s like an assurance they won’t take one in the 1st round. As of now, the Bears have addressed several key roster needs, including running back, tight end, and free safety. Shelton takes care of the center spot as well. That leaves three primary positions left to tackle: quarterback, wide receiver, and edge rusher. Two of those will be addressed with their two picks in the 1st round next month. One of them is almost guaranteed to be a quarterback at #1, meaning Poles must determine if it will be an edge rusher or wide receiver at #9.
There is still time for that decision to become an easy one. It remains possible the Chicago Bears add a receiver or pass rusher at some point in the near future. They’re meeting with defensive end D.J. Wonnum today. Word is they’re exploring the receiver market. How each of those ventures go will steer their decision next month. Either way, Shelton’s arrival eases some of their burden. He may not be the stud everybody wanted, but he should be able to hold down the fort for a year.