The market for interior offensive linemen is shrinking and if the Bears are going to pursue one, they will need to act quickly.
Seven-time Pro Bowl guard Alan Faneca did not need the weekend to weigh his offers. He agreed to a $32 million, four-year contract, according to ESPN.com, that includes $23 million guaranteed. The Bears were never involved in discussions with the ex-Steeler.
But the Bears have two holes to fill along their line. They need to replace left guard Ruben Brown and right tackle Fred Miller. The draft promises a handful of talented tackles, and the team interviewed Virginia guard Branden Albert at the combine, another projected first-round pick.
The club might be hesitant to go into training camp without at least trying to upgrade over the combination of veteran Terrence Metcalf and Josh Beekman, last year’s fourth-round pick, at guard. Metcalf was benched in the final month of the season and Beekman has no NFL experience.
The agent for guard Jake Scott said he has yet to hear from the Bears. Ken Staninger said his client was weighing a couple possibilities for visits, and nothing was imminent. Based on Justin Smiley’s $25 million, five-year contract with Miami, the first deal announced in free agency, that might be a baseline for Scott’s salary.
