Germain Ifedi will compete for starting right guard job

[soulman]

Germain Ifedi will compete for starting right guard job

 

Alyssa Barbieri

https://bearswire.usatoday.com/2020/04/05/chicago-bears-germain-ifedi-to-compete-for-starting-right-guard-spot/follow

6 minutes ago

The Chicago Bears’ offensive line issues are well-documented. And it’s a unit that, after a strong 2018 campaign, faltered last season.

Couple that with veteran Kyle Long’s retirement, and there’s now a vacancy at right guard that the Bears are looking to fill.

They’re hoping that newly-acquired offensive lineman Germain Ifedi is the answer. Chicago signed the former first-round pick, who was a four-year starter with the Seattle Seahawks, to a low-risk, high-reward one-year deal where the hope is he can grow into a long-term starter on the Bears’ offensive line.

Pace says #Bears envision free-agent signee Germain Ifedi competing at right guard position. Ifedi played right guard as a rookie with Seahawks in 2016 and right tackle past three seasons.

— Larry Mayer (@LarryMayer) April 3, 2020

 

While Ifedi has served as a right tackle for the Seahawks over the past three seasons, he does have experience at right guard, which is where he played in his rookie season.

But Ifedi won’t just be handed the starting role. As is the theme for this year for Matt Nagy and the Bears, there will be competition at multiple positions this offseason. Right guard among them.

Ifedi will compete with Alex Bars, Rashaad Coward and presumably a rookie that the Bears could target in the NFL Draft later this month.

The Bears have plenty of issues to fix on offense this offseason, offensive line among them. While finding the starting right guard won’t magically cure the rest of the unit’s struggles, Chicago is banking on the addition of offensive line coach Juan Castillo to right the ship.

[soulman]

This should confirm their intent as far as Ifedi is concerned.

So as an OG we may have a diamond in the rough or we may have signed someone else's first round bust but it was a move that Pace has made once again that allows him some flexibility with his two 2nd round picks.

If the right OG falls to him he can take him and if not he can draft for other needs like WR and SS or maybe a CB.

[G08]

People that have played/coached on the offensive line... doesn't technique always win out over talent? So, if you can find an athletic specimen and drill technique into them, technically haven't you found a quality offensive lineman?

[Sugashane]

6 minutes ago, G08 said:

People that have played/coached on the offensive line... doesn't technique always win out over talent? So, if you can find an athletic specimen and drill technique into them, technically haven't you found a quality offensive lineman?

*I'm specifically only Jr High and down so not a great source. 

Unless there was physical mismatches that were beyond matching up with. That being said technique breaks down exponentially with less time in the spot. It's easy to get good at drills but doing so in game situations at full speed hard to get down. 

At the pro level I'd have no idea. There are so many technicians on defense it would be a hell of an uphill battle to teach. 

[WindyCity]

22 minutes ago, G08 said:

People that have played/coached on the offensive line... doesn't technique always win out over talent? So, if you can find an athletic specimen and drill technique into them, technically haven't you found a quality offensive lineman?

The issue is after a certain amount of time you have to accept that the technique isn't improving.

Even if you rep it in drills, when the bullets fly in the game if you cannot replicate it you will default back to whatever you have used to survive in the past.

Most super athletic guys have survived so long on that it can be more difficult to teach them consistent technique. They have so many bad habits that there athletic ability has covered up.

[WindyCity]

Ifedi is probably what he is as an OLmen. He has had 4 season and a couple different OL coaches and he is probably a finished product in terms of his technique etc.

What the Bears are banking on is a move inside mitigating some of the speed issues he has had in the past.

[soulman]

1 hour ago, WindyCity said:

Ifedi is probably what he is as an OLmen. He has had 4 season and a couple different OL coaches and he is probably a finished product in terms of his technique etc.

What the Bears are banking on is a move inside mitigating some of the speed issues he has had in the past.

I'd say you're correct on both counts.

My thinking is based on a 3 year rule.  Whatever a player is or ever will be (QBs might be an exception) will be achieved by the completion of his 3rd year.  So yes, Ifedi is pretty much a finished product as is.

Obviously the Bears see him more as an OG which he was as a rookie so our hope is that by returning him to OG he'll flourish there in ways he did not as a RT.  IMHO it's a reasonable gamble.

[WindyCity]

36 minutes ago, soulman said:

I'd say you're correct on both counts.

My thinking is based on a 3 year rule.  Whatever a player is or ever will be (QBs might be an exception) will be achieved by the completion of his 3rd year.  So yes, Ifedi is pretty much a finished product as is.

Obviously the Bears see him more as an OG which he was as a rookie so our hope is that by returning him to OG he'll flourish there in ways he did not as a RT.  IMHO it's a reasonable gamble.

I wouldn’t expect flourish.

Better chance at competent for sure.

[soulman]

14 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

I wouldn’t expect flourish.

Better chance at competent for sure.

Who knows.  The guy was once a 1st round pick which means he had enough talent to be drafted that high.

Maybe OG is a more natural position for him.  Flourish does mean he's a future All Pro only that he proves to be more competent as an OG than he did as an OT.  It's not as if that's never happened before.

[WindyCity]

2 minutes ago, soulman said:

Who knows.  The guy was once a 1st round pick which means he had enough talent to be drafted that high.

Maybe OG is a more natural position for him.  Flourish does mean he's a future All Pro only that he proves to be more competent as an OG than he did as an OT.  It's not as if that's never happened before.

I think it is likely he is much better at OG. He seems far better suited for interior work. He got exposed at OT because of speed.

I think he could absolutely seize the job. I would say it is 70/30 that he is replaceable vs he takes the job and runs. He has some super inconsistent fundamentals.

[soulman]

1 minute ago, WindyCity said:

I think it is likely he is much better at OG. He seems far better suited for interior work. He got exposed at OT because of speed.

I think he could absolutely seize the job. I would say it is 70/30 that he is replaceable vs he takes the job and runs. He has some super inconsistent fundamentals.

So you fix those fundamentals.  That's why Castillo was hired.  He inherited what was a mess in 2019 and his job is to fix it.  So let's see how he does.   I don't believe we can base our opinions about the OL entirely on what we saw in 2019.  They're capable of better.

[WindyCity]

8 minutes ago, soulman said:

So you fix those fundamentals.  That's why Castillo was hired.  He inherited what was a mess in 2019 and his job is to fix it.  So let's see how he does.   I don't believe we can base our opinions about the OL entirely on what we saw in 2019.  They're capable of better.

Heistand isn’t an incompetent coach. We all celebrated when he was hired. He got career years out of this group in 2018.

Now, because Heistand was scapegoated in 2019, we are suppose to believe that Castillo, who couldn’t get a job last season, is going to come in and have a magic wand?

Castillo may improve the scheme situation, but I doubt he has a better impact on individual development of guys.

Heistand developed an All Pro OL at Notre Dame, his individual player development track record has been impressive.

Edited April 5, 2020 by WindyCity

[soulman]

3 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

Heistand isn’t an incompetent coach. We all celebrated when he was hired. He got career years out of this group in 2018.

Now, because Heistand was scapegoated in 2019, we are suppose to believe that Castillo, who couldn’t get a job last season, is going to come in and have a magic wand?

Castillo may improve the scheme situation, but I doubt he has a better impact on individual development of guys.

Heistand developed an All Pro OL at Notre Dame, his individual player development track record has been impressive.

I never even mentioned HH so why are you?

Harry is a great OL coach.  I've never said otherwise.  But maybe he wasn't the right OL coach for this line or this scheme.

Look, you played the game.  It's a results oriented business.  Aren't you always reminding us of that regarding Pace and Nagy or Mitch?

And you doubt, you doubt, you doubt.  Every other post you make seems to contain that word doubt.  At what point do begin to get into what is, not what was or what should be.  Why don't you at least wait for some results before inventing negative ones in your mind?

[Madmike90]

33 minutes ago, WindyCity said:

Heistand isn’t an incompetent coach. We all celebrated when he was hired. He got career years out of this group in 2018.

Now, because Heistand was scapegoated in 2019, we are suppose to believe that Castillo, who couldn’t get a job last season, is going to come in and have a magic wand?

Castillo may improve the scheme situation, but I doubt he has a better impact on individual development of guys.

Heistand developed an All Pro OL at Notre Dame, his individual player development track record has been impressive.

Jim Harbaugh would disagree...calls Castillo the best teacher he has ever worked with...which considering some of the coaches he has had is a great complement to Castillo.

[Heinz D.]

50 minutes ago, soulman said:

So you fix those fundamentals.  That's why Castillo was hired.  He inherited what was a mess in 2019 and his job is to fix it.  So let's see how he does.   I don't believe we can base our opinions about the OL entirely on what we saw in 2019.  They're capable of better.

They most certainly are. And I expect as much. We all sort of forget that Long went down in flames, too. (Except when we agree we're glad he's gone.) He was a pretty vocal leader not just on the line, but the team.