Even essentially the most hardcore Chicago Bears fan could be challenged to call the 12 left guards who began alongside Charles Leno Jr. through the 93 consecutive begins he made for the crew at left sort out.
Getting greater than six in a quiz could be a superb rating. Nine or extra could be deserving of an A.
The listing: Matt Slauson, Vladimir Ducasse, Patrick Omameh, Josh Sitton, Eric Kush, Tom Compton, Cody Whitehair, Bradley Sowell, James Daniels, Ted Larsen, Rashaad Coward and Arlington Hambright between Week 4 of the 2015 season and the tip of 2020.
Amid the practically fixed turnover the Bears had in every single place else on the road, Leno was a mainstay spanning the John Fox and Matt Nagy regimes, a seventh-round draft choose in 2014 who became a worthwhile performer because the crew by no means poured large assets right into a premium place.
When basic supervisor Ryan Pace made a run at Trent Williams in free company in March 2021, Leno figured his place might be tenuous. The Bears’ bid fell quick when the San Francisco 49ers re-signed Williams to a record-setting contract. Leno then figured he was OK, particularly understanding there was a superb likelihood the crew would try and commerce up in Round 1 for a shot at a quarterback.
“When they made a run at Trent, I remember being with my wife,’” Leno stated. “I stated, ’Oh, that sucks. That means they’re seeking to substitute me.’ I didn’t wish to settle for it. Then they drafted a sort out (Teven Jenkins) within the second spherical. ‘Oh, OK, that could be the replacement right there,’ however as soon as they went with one other sort out within the fifth spherical (Larry Borom), that’s once I knew one thing has acquired to be up.
“That being said, I called people in the organization and they told me, ‘No, you’re fine. You’re safe. You’re on a one-year contract, and we’re not going to be able to pay you next year. These are just going to be your backups, and we want you to help groom them.’ They told me that and within less than 24 hours, I was being told by my agent I was being cut.”
Leno, 31, landed in Washington, signing a one-year contract with the Commanders and settling in rapidly at left sort out. He allowed successful on quarterback Ryan Fitzpatrick that ended the veteran’s season within the opener however performed properly all through final season, incomes a three-year, $37 million contract. He has maintained that stage of play on a line that has struggled on the inside defending quarterback Carson Wentz, who has been sacked 20 occasions, the third most within the NFL.
The Bears in 2021 signed veteran Jason Peters to play left sort out and this season have rookie fifth-round choose Braxton Jones on the blind facet. Jones’ future stays unknown, however the Bears are inquisitive about seeing him develop. While Leno isn’t the left sort out of the longer term for the Commanders, he has been a stabilizing affect within the locker room, permitting the group to speculate elsewhere. He was voted a captain this season.
“Charles has played very well,” Commanders coach Ron Rivera stated. “Plus he’s a pacesetter. He handles the gamers very properly. They look as much as him. He got here and rapidly assimilated himself and he truly challenged a few guys and he confirmed some actually critical management. It was the form of stuff you hope for from a veteran man and it actually has taken off.
“That is really cool because when your teammates see that and respond to it, it’s a great thing. He’s so professional the way he handles that, and some of the young guys have learned from him. He’s been really good that way.”
It’s not going to be simply one other recreation for Leno on Thursday night time at Soldier Field. His spouse, Jen, is from Chicago, and her household remains to be right here. He stays entrenched in the neighborhood doing charitable work he started early in his profession.
“I’m going to be completely honest: It will be emotional,” he stated,. “I spent seven years there. How can I be naive to say it’s not? I would be lying to myself. It’s going to be a different game. I need to focus on my job, and once it’s over, it’s going to be exciting. Going against some guys I practiced against, going to see some brother I was blocking with, like Cody (Whitehair). I’m looking forward to it. Can’t wait.”
Leno had some tough moments through the 2019 season however rebounded in 2020 and thought he performed properly sufficient to stay a part of the Bears’ future. Consistent turnover elsewhere on the road took a toll. It’s not an excuse however a actuality when realizing continuity is one thing all good traces require for regular enchancment.
“Guys got shuffled in,” Leno stated. “I had five offensive line coaches in Chicago, five offensive coordinators and a countless number of quarterbacks and guards I played next to. I think I was doing something right. It’s just hard to succeed with stuff like that going. If I was able to be there for that long, I think I did a pretty damn good job.”
When some veterans are lower, particularly post-draft, they discover a touchdown spot after which rapidly shuffle out of the league. Leno was in a position to grow to be rooted with the Commanders, so maybe change was finest for him.
“Leaving a place like Chicago, a place I called home for seven years, I thought I was going to finish my career there,” Leno stated. “It didn’t work out that way. That could have been it for me. One-year deal, I would have been done after (last) year and it would have been over. It’s all about how you respond.”
It was a whirlwind for his household. They moved with two younger women — Carsynn (now 2) and Oaklynn (now 1) — and Jen turned pregnant late within the season. They added a 3rd lady — Jordynn — over the summer season.
Those are dynamics that can not be neglected when a veteran is making an attempt to settle in with a brand new franchise.
“(Jen) keeps me levelheaded when I am too down and when I’m too high,” Leno stated. “That is definitely something that has to be taken into consideration. A partner is either going to help you grow or fail. If your partner isn’t helping you get better, are they really helping you at all? That’s one thing my wife does. Whatever it takes. The sacrifices she made so I can continue to play this game is huge. If I didn’t have that, I don’t know where I would be.”
Scouting report
Terry McLaurin, Commanders large receiver
Information for this report was obtained from NFL scouts.
McLaurin, 6-foot, 210 kilos, was drafted within the third spherical out of Ohio State in 2019, the twelfth receiver chosen in his class, three picks after the Bears selected operating again David Montgomery.
McLaurin, 27, had 919 yards and 7 touchdowns as a rookie and put collectively consecutive 1,000-yard seasons after that to earn a three-year, $68.2 million extension in July. He has 19 receptions for 326 yards (17.2 common) and one landing this season and 11 100-yard video games in 51 profession begins with a carousel of quarterbacks throwing him the ball.
“He’s detailed and savvy as a route runner,” the scout stated. “McLaurin has good top-end velocity when it comes to the stopwatch, however I don’t look him as a blazer or a vertical-stretch choice of their offense. I consider him as an intermediate route runner who is great at establishing and manipulating protection and discovering smooth zones on in-breaking routes. He can win isolation routes exterior the numbers. If there may be somebody you wish to examine his recreation to, I feel it’s like Keenan Allen of the Los Angeles Chargers.
“McLaurin is a possession-type receiver who has enough top-end speed to be schemed as a vertical target when they want to do that. But he’s probably a 1-B when you’re talking about elite wide receivers. There are only a few 1-As in the NFL, the Davante Adamses, Tyreek Hills and Cooper Kupps. He’s not in that tier but he is a really high 1-B in my mind. He can be a downfield threat in Scott Turner’s offense. Those skinny posts they throw are caught between 12 and 15 yards, and he can take off when he gets one of those. They have talent around him at the skill positions and a quarterback in Carson Wentz who is more than willing to attack tight windows and attack the third level of the defense.”
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