Bears sign veteran offensive lineman Matt Pryor |
Although this year's first wave of free agency is less exciting than last season for the Bears, Ryan Poles continues to do his job as he looks to rebuild this roster. Part of his job is to find the best talent possible without overpaying to put a great product on the field.
The other part is to find what we like to call depth pickups, as you can never have enough depth. One area the Bears would love to add depth to is the offensive line, and they took a step further by adding Matt Pryor on Wednesday and inking him to a one-year deal. Pryor has many connections to the Bears front office in a league that thrives on connections. He played in Indianapolis during Matt Eberflus's time with the Colts and spent time with Ian Cunningham in Philadelphia. If anyone knows what Pryor is about, it would be these two, so it does make sense that Chicago gave him a deal. During his time with the Colts, Pryor played in 23 games, with 14 coming as starts. That aligns with his career, where he has seen action in 75 games, with 24 coming as starts. Pryor is just that when you talk about versatile pieces, as he has played every spot on the offensive line except center. That could be a concern in the future, as the Bears still need a Center on this roster, and they don't appear to be in a hurry to grab one. While the contract details have yet to be released, Pryor is the second depth pickup made by Poles this offseason. He will join Ryan Bates as the versatile player on the offensive line. Pryor is also the fifth move made by the Bears this offseason, but you could make the case that three of the moves were significant, while the rest will be depth pieces. For a team that has thrived in the run game, you get the sense that they are transforming themselves into more of a passing team this year. A lot of that has to do with the possibility of drafting Caleb Williams, as the Bears would love to add more skill position talent. While most of their line is better at run blocking than pass blocking, Pryor is the odd man out, which is an excellent thing for this team. Looking at his Pro Football Focus stats from last season, you will see that Pryor logged an 83.3 pass-blocking grade. Anything over 90 is considered elite, while anything over 84 is considered very good. Pryor isn't at elite status, but he is an outstanding pass-blocker, which will be helpful for this team. Perhaps the most impressive part of his game is his ability to not only pass block but also keep defenders off the quarterback, as he didn't allow a single pressure or sack last season. In an era where sacks and pressures are up due to how the game is played, not allowing a single sack all season is amazing, and that is something that the Bears offensive line could desperately use. As mentioned, this isn't the type of move that will get fans excited, but it is a move that needs to be made for depth purposes. You can never have too much depth, especially regarding the offensive line. Chicago was very fortunate last season as they didn't have a ton of injuries up front. Had they had some injuries, their depth would've been tested, as they didn't have many secondary options to lean on. Poles wants to make sure he addresses that this season, and you can see that by the Pryor and Bates moves. All this line is missing is C, which I expect the Bears to address at some point this offseason. Chicago Bears signed OL Matt Pryor to a 1 Year Deal.
Pryor has been a really up and down in terms of production.
In 2020 he allowed 6 Sacks | 7 Penalties | 8 QB Hits| 35 Pressures
In 2021 he allowed 0 Sacks | 6 Penalties| 2 QB Hits | 8 Pressures
In 2022 he allowed 6 Sacks… pic.twitter.com/6Sj7tiTN4x
