Bears Still Mulling Kyle Long's Position, Juggling Line Uncertainty
By Chris Emma--
LAKE FOREST, Ill. (CBS) -- A brief look at the Bears' 53-man roster would seem to suggest Kyle Long is moving over from right guard to right tackle.
Chicago cut Jordan Mills, its two-year starter at right tackle, and has tried Long, the two-time Pro Bowl guard, at tackle. Then, general manager Ryan Pace was aggressive Sunday in adding Patrick Omameh, the starting right guard for Tampa Bay last season.
So, will Long be playing right tackle come Sunday's contest with the Green Bay Packers?
"He's going to be active for the game, more than likely," Bears coach John Fox replied.
The Bears can either slide Long to right tackle and play Omameh or Vladimir Ducasse at guard, or they can proceed with Long at right guard and start Charles Leno at tackle.
Long isn't sure which way the Bears will go.
"I have no clue," Long said. "We're trying to put forth our best set of guys in pads on Sunday. We're all very happy to be here with the 53."
The Bears received a bit of good news on the injury front, with receivers Eddie Royal and Marquess Wilson participating in practice. However, Alshon Jeffery (calf) didn't participate, though he was in the facility on Monday.
But Chicago's greatest positional concern lies on the offensive line, where it's still uncertain where Long will play. Adding to that, left tackle Jermon Bushrod is battling a back issue.
"I'm good," Bushrod said. "I'm coming along pretty good. We have a good plan in place, and we've been sticking to it."
This preseason, the Bears never truly had continuity on the offensive front. Long worked at right tackle during OTAs in May. During the practices in Indianapolis, the team began trying out Leno in place of Mills. Now, Mills is no longer playing in Chicago.
With Week 1 finally here, the Bears must gain cohesiveness as an offense, which starts on the line.
"Our challenge and our goals, it never changes from week to week," Bushrod said when asked about the moving parts. "It's about fighting to dominate the line of scrimmage and give our quarterback time to throw the ball. It's about giving our play makers time to make plays."
The regular season starts with the Bears hosting the rival Packers at Soldier Field. Through the uncertainty comes one common goal.
"As somebody who's now a homeowner in Chicago and a Chicagoan, we got to beat the Packers," Long said. "That's part of the deal. You play for the Bears, you got to go out for the Packers."
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