Like myself, ESPN‘s NFC North blogger Kevin Seifert is wondering what the Bears are going to do at left guard. In doing so, he reminds us that the Bears are only adequate at best at the center position. He makes a good point:
“[I]t’s worth noting, at least, that the Bears signed free agent center Taylor Boggs on Tuesday and [hosted] California guard/center Brian Schwenke on a visit Wednesday. The Bears don’t necessarily need to find a new center for 2013, but much like their short-term transition at middle linebacker from Brian Urlacher to D.J. Williams, it is time to construct a longer-term plan.
In this case, of course, the Bears have some flexibility. If they find in training camp that they have another starting-caliber center on the roster — be it Boggs, a draft pick or another free agent — [Roberto] Garza could conceivably move back to guard. The Bears signed free agent Matt Slauson presumably to replace the departed Lance Louis, but there is still one guard position without an obvious starter.
Garza is a much better left guard than he is a center. Moving him there would kill two birds with one stone, improving the the center position and the guard position at the same time.
The more I think about it, the more I like it and the more I think this is exactly what the Bears may be planning to do.