Ryan Poles Keeping A Close Eye On Underrated O-Lineman
It isn’t a secret the Chicago Bears might be on the lookout for offensive line help ahead of the trade deadline. The tricky part is finding somebody who can help. GM Ryan Poles has never been shy about taking an aggressive mentality. Chase Claypool and Montez Sweat are proof of that. Offensive linemen, though, are somewhat more difficult. Teams don’t generally want to give them up for fear it might expose their quarterback. However, there can be exceptions from time to time.
According to a source, the Bears GM has an eye on one name. Nick Leverett is a former undrafted free agent of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was with the team from their Super Bowl run in 2020 through 2023. This year, he’s with the New England Patriots, getting part-time work at center. While that hasn’t gone well, Leverett showed in Tampa Bay that he can be a highly effective guard. Across 513 snaps in 2022, he allowed only 12 pressures and no sacks. That could be why Poles is interested.
Ryan Poles’ interest is easy to understand.
Leverett has a track record of success at guard, where the Bears have had some problems with inconsistent play and guys staying healthy. He’s on a cheap contract and wouldn’t be expensive to acquire. No more than a future 7th round pick or some kind of pick swap. New England is 1-4. They show no signs of turning things around in the next few weeks. One would imagine they’ll look for ways to gain some future assets before the deadline. Dealing Leverett, presuming Ryan Poles’ interest is high enough, would make sense. The experiment with him at center isn’t working anyway. If the Patriots lose this weekend, it will likely spur them into action. Chicago will be waiting.