Could we see the Bears move Joe Thuney to left tackle to start the season?

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Rahimi & Grote Show 12 min 3 speakers 8 chapters transcribed 25 days ago

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What is the opening banter and how does it set up the Bears discussion?

Leila Rahimi 0:01

Rahimi and Grody. Hey, pay attention! Midday, 10 a.m. to 2 on the score. Williams, quick throw to the outside, and a nice easy pitch and catch with the tight end. That is Colston Loveland, the leading receiver a year ago, and of course, this is the building where he had that incredible touchdown to beat Cincinnati.

Mark Grote 0:21

Yeah, you know, there were some good things that happened on that first drive for Caleb Williams in the starting offense. As we welcome you back to Rahimi and Grody on 104.3 The Score. Yeah, that was a third down pass, 10 yards, or actually the third pass he had thrown, I should say, to Colston Loveland for a first down. You had had the play action to Roma Dunze for 18 yards, but then it kind of went haywire on the Colston Loveland overthrow down the seam, and then... whatever the throwaway was to Roma Dunzey. And we are hoping to get answers on all of those here on Rahimi and Grody on the score. Ben Johnson is still talking right now, and when we are able to, we will bring you some of that. But we can tell you some of the action that is coming out of Hallis Hall from the trusty reporters out there, including our friend Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times.

Mark Grote 1:08

And he says the following, Bears coach Ben Johnson identified left tackle and one safety spot not Dylan Thienemann, as question marks heading into week one. Now we're talking about week one of the season, September 13th at Carolina. Question marks in terms of whom they'll start.

Vinny Rotino 1:31

Oh, that is not good.

Mark Grote 1:33

That

Vinny Rotino 1:34

is not good at

Mark Grote 1:37

all. I really thought that this was the year, unlike last year, where they would know in short order that Braxton Jones would be the starting left tackle. The injury has set that back, and ineffectiveness has set that back for Braxton Jones, and they ain't saying anything about it yet.

Vinny Rotino 1:55

To a man, I love Braxton Jones. He's a wonderful interview. He's really pleasant to talk to. I think he's probably good to work with, and that's why people want to work with him. He, I think, probably gave the Bears a discount in agreeing to sign a one-year deal with them to help them bridge the gap to whatever they need to do.

Mark Grote 2:14

He's had a good career,

Vinny Rotino 2:16

actually.

Why are the Bears considering Joe Thuney for left tackle in Week 1?

Vinny Rotino 2:16

He's in an incredibly valuable position. And I think those things combine for me to like him. The problem is I feel like from a physical standpoint and from the dominating point you need that position to be, I don't know if he's ever been enough of that for me. And I know he was getting back from a really bad injury. We've talked about this, but that job was his to lose last year and he lost it. And I feel like yet again, the job is his to lose. And I don't know that he's in the process of keeping it.

Mark Grote 2:50

I think it's down to, if I had to guess right now, it feels like they're still thinking about Theo Benedet as a possibility.

Vinny Rotino 3:00

As they should be.

Mark Grote 3:01

Right. And if he can get what the bugaboo with him is, and they have said it on the microphone, he's very good in the run game. You can run behind Theo Benedet. It is the pass protection. That is a concern,

Vinny Rotino 3:16

and

Mark Grote 3:16

that is a concern for all of the left tackle candidates right

Vinny Rotino 3:19

now. Thank you. I was going to say I don't think he's the only one who's struggling in this right

Mark Grote 3:23

now. That's the whole thing.

Vinny Rotino 3:25

Who

Mark Grote 3:25

can best protect the quarterback's blind side?

Vinny Rotino 3:27

Now, a lot of times we use this phrasing to illustrate a good problem to have. Like we say, if you had told me at the end of or at the beginning of last season that the Bears were going to struggle for the first four weeks, but then find their stride and then win their first playoff game in 15 years, I'd have been like, huzzah, this will be a wonderful season for all of us then. Didn't feel like that the first couple of weeks, especially after that Lions loss. Inversely, I feel like when I hear this, if you had told me at the end of the season last year, the last playoff game, they're walking off the field. They had traded away DJ Moore. They still don't know who their left tackle is and that they don't know who their safety is for one of the safety spots.

Vinny Rotino 4:08

I would say, oh no, what the hell happened?