Bears need to move on from Larry Borom at left tackle |
There is a reason left tackles are sometimes paid one of the highest salaries of any player on the team. When you watch the first few minutes of the movie The Blind Side, it shows you why by taking fans through the sack from Hall of Famer Lawrence Taylor that ended the career of quarterback Joe Theismann after he broke his leg. It was because the left tackle missed the block on Taylor, and because of how often Chicago’s offensive line missed blocks last season, it is a miracle that quarterback Caleb Williams did not end up on a stretcher like Theismann did on that play.
The left tackle is supposed to protect the quarterback’s blind side. In all fairness, Chicago’s offensive line was riddled with injuries, including the left tackle, Larry Borom, who missed half the season. However, in the eight games he did play, he did not do a great job of protecting Williams’ blindside. Per Pro Football Focus (PFF), Borom gave up seven sacks in his eight games this year. Furthermore, both his pass-blocking and run-blocking grades were horrible. His run block grade was 51.7, his pass block grade was 56.2, and his overall grade was 53.8. All of those grades are well below average. His numbers were some of the worst among the NFL’s 141 tackles who played last season. Chicago’s offensive line overall is a mess. They gave up 67 sacks in the first 16 games, but it is shocking that they only gave up one sack to Green Bay in the season finale. In fact, that was only one of two games all season. Williams was sacked only once, which is quite a sad statement, considering he was sacked every game last year. Head coach Ben Johnson worked with one of the best offensive lines in the NFL when he was with the Detroit Lions, so it serves to reason that improving Chicago’s offensive line will be one of his top priorities in the offseason. Some players will stay, such as left guard Teven Jenkins, who had high PFF grades in run block, pass block, and overall grade. He gave up fewer sacks than Borom despite playing six more games than him. Borom will not be one of the players that sticks around. The former fifth-round pick seemed like he was showing promise in his first few years in the league, but this season proves he cannot be a reliable member of the offensive line, even as a depth piece. Instead, Chicago should look to the NFL Draft. Because good left tackles are highly coveted, it isn't easy to find an elite one in free agency without paying a high price. With the No. 10 overall pick in this year's draft, the Bears can use that pick to draft a generational talent to protect Williams’ blindside for the foreseeable future. One potential prospect is offensive tackle Will Campbell, who played at LSU for three seasons and was named an All-American this year. Campbell is ranked as the No. 8 overall prospect by NFL Network’s Daniel Jeremiah, citing his “ideal height, bulk and athleticism.” However, Campbell’s arm length could be a deterrent for some teams. Nonetheless, he seems like a prospect that would be an improvement from Larry Borom.
