Tice had edge while scouting Carimi

If there was one offensive line coach who had an opportunity to learn everything about former Wisconsin offensive tackle Gabe Carimi, it was Mike Tice of the Bears.

Tice’s son Nathan is a quarterback at Wisconsin.

“I know a lot about him in fact,” Tice said. “His mom and my wife tailgate together. There’s a lot of familiarity there.”

Tice said the four-year starter for the Badgers was the Bears’ fourth-ranked offensive lineman. He was especially impressed with how he performed against Purdue defensive end Ryan Kerrigan and Iowa defensive end Adrian Clayborn.

Carimi played left tackle at Wisconsin but could play either tackle position or guard in the NFL.

“We do want to keep our options open,” Tice said. “As you know, I’ve been known to move guys around a little bit. We want to get through the rest of the draft and figure out what we’re going to do with some of our players who are free agents. “I think he’s an outside player, personally, and we’ll make sure the day he comes into the building the spot we put him at is the spot he’s going to play for the next 10 years. We’ll work through all that.”