LAKE FOREST, Ill., — The Chicago Bears had an unexpected need at center this offseason following the surprising retirement of Drew Dalman. Right around the NFL Scouting Combine, the Bears had to pivot to finding a new center.
They traded for Garrett Bradbury, who has one year left on his deal, and then a few weeks later, they drafted Iowa center Logan Jones in the second round. Ideally, Jones will be Chicago's center of the future and paired up with quarterback Caleb Williams for the long term.
Chicago scouted Jones and hosted him for a 30-minute visit at Halas Hall, and in the end, that visit really convinced the Bears' brass.
"I said it a couple of weeks ago, but (OL) Coach (Dan) Roushar and (Assistant OL) Coach (Kyle) DeVan made some rounds this off-season just making sure we did due diligence on a number of players, and Logan was one that stood out," Johnson said.
The head coach pointed to a few things that stood out. They are all things that the Bears have mentioned they are looking for in players that they want to bring to Halas Hall and have on the roster.
"During my visit with him when he was here, I was extremely impressed by his football knowledge, makeup, and he's very mature," Johnson said. "And to me, it's not that we're getting a rookie, we're getting a guy that's a little bit more of a seasoned player, which really is not uncommon for those Iowa linemen. So I think he's going to fall kind of next in line for a really good program, the next guy out."
Jones was a standout at Iowa who started as a defensive lineman before transitioning to the center position. He took over for Tyler Linderbaum and called him a mentor in terms of his college career. His time at Iowa taught him a lot and when he was at Halas Hall for his visit, it felt like home for him.
"Even just being here yesterday, the team meeting with (Ben) Johnson, there's just such a resemblance to the way I was coached and taught at Iowa," Jones said. "The importance of the little things, showing up on time, the stuff that you think might not matter, matters here. I think that's why they're so successful. It's because they do things right. That just clicked with me, and why I loved it. From the coaches, sports staff, everybody. It's just been amazing."
Logan Jones will get his chance to compete for the starting job
When the Bears traded for Bradbury, they envisioned him being a starter right away. He can be a stopgap option to Jones for this season and then test the free-agent market this upcoming offseason. But there's a chance Jones could also start.
During his presser on Friday, Johnson left the door open for Jones to go out and compete for the starting job.
"Time will tell. The ball is in his court as far as I'm concerned," Johnson said. "He understands that just like everyone else, we're looking to create competition and consistency day after day and build trust not only with Caleb (Williams) and the other quarterbacks, but within that offensive line room and then obviously with the coaching staff. So, it's just a matter of time to build that trust."
It's early in the offseason for the rookie, but to hear that he has a shot at starting is a positive thing. The center battle will certainly be something to monitor as the offseason goes on and into training camp.
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