Manny being Manny: Bears’ Ramirez mentoring, still wants to start

The Bears signed Manny Ramirez to help Hroniss Grasu do his job — and to try to take it from him.

The 33-year-old center has nine years on Grasu, the Bears’ former third-round pick who struggled in his eight-game starting audition last year. He made his first NFL appearance when Grasu was a high school sophomore and an infamous Super Bowl appearance while he was a college junior.

The Bears expect he’ll pass the fruits of experience along to Grasu, who, for now at least, is slotted in the middle of the Bears’ starting line.

“We’ve had that discussion already,” said Ramirez, whose team continues organized team activities Wednesday at Halas Hall. “He knows we’re both here to compete against each other. At the same time I’m also here to help him. And if I see something with him, I’m gonna tell him, but I also expect him to do the same for me.”

Ramirez mentored Lions linemen last year — including Lane Tech alum Laken Tomlinson, a rookie — and started seven games, combined, at center and both guard spots. He said he’s paying forward the guidance veterans gave him in his first Detroit stint, after the 2007 Lions drafted him in the fourth round.

“I just have that mindset — if you’re going to beat me out, you’re going to beat me out because you’re better than me and you were on top of your game,” he said. “Because I want to give you everything I have.”

Signed to a one-year, minimum salary benefit deal, Ramirez gives the Bears depth they lacked when Will Montgomery broke his left leg in Week 4. Matt Slauson moved to center after having six practice snaps all year and zero career appearances there. Grasu slid into the starting lineup the next week, much earlier than the team had planned.

The Bears would be thrilled if Grasu, who has added 13 pounds this offseason, makes a leap in Year 2. Grasu claimed he welcomed the Ramirez signing.

“I love it,” he said. “I love all the help that we could get. I’m all for whatever it takes to make the Chicago Bears a better team. If that’s bringing in more guys that can play center, that’s great. We just have more options.

“Obviously I take a lot of pride in my position and as a center.”

He said Ramirez has “been helping me out every single day to be the best player I can be,” while rookie guard Cody Whitehair also credited the oldest player in the offensive line meeting room. Whitehair is competing for the left guard job with another veteran, 28-year-old Ted Larsen.

“They’ve both helped me get some techniques that I need to work on, and just learning the plays,” Whitehair said. “They’ve been in this league a long time and know the different techniques it takes to be good.”

Ramirez’s coaches know first-hand. He played for John Fox and offensive line boss Dave Magazu from 2011-14, starting 43 games and, perhaps most memorably, snapping the ball past Peyton Manning for a safety on the first play of Super Bowl XLVIII.

“(Fox) is very laid-back, but always on top of everything,” Ramirez said. “He expects a certain mentality every day, and I think that just trickles down to everybody.”

Ramirez will make sure it reaches his room, whether he’s the starter or not.

“What should be every single player’s mindset, is, you come in to want to be a starter,” he said. “You have to have that mindset regardless of the situation. But I know why I’m here as well, as far as being able to help the offensive line out.”