One of the great mysteries of NFL offensive play is how long an offensive line needs to mesh into a cohesive unit.
A group playing as one is necessary. It’s rare when this sort of thing happens immediately, and the Bears face this issue starting next week with OTAs and then going on into training camp and the regular season.
When you’ve brought in three new starters in Drew Dalman, Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney, and might even have another new starter at left tackle if Braxton Jones’ injury remains an issue, it makes for a difficult situation.
Bears coach Ben Johnson offered up an opinion on how long this might take this season while making an appearance Thursday on The Herd with Colin Cowherd.
It might not be what Bears fans would like or anticipate.
“I think that’s going to be the challenge here during training camp is how quickly can we come together,” Johnson told Cowherd. “They’re really bonding as a unit right now communication-wise but we don’t have the pads on. I think we need the pads on before we truly start jelling together.”
Basically, the offseason work is not going to do it. They can’t put pads on until training camp.
“Training camp is going to be critical for us,” Johnson told Cowherd.
It won’t be training camp, either.
“I actually like where that bye week is because it usually takes about four weeks into the season to find out who you are as a team and what you do well and what you don’t do well and then that is at a good time so we can reflect on it as a coaching staff to really hone in on what we want to be for that remaining three-quarters of the season,” Johnson said.