The Bears will use some of their league-leading cap-space total on their offensive line. They are signing former Titans guard Nate Davis, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets.
Davis agreed to a three-year deal to head to Chicago. Although the Bears have Cody Whitehair under contract and saw some positive signs from tackle convert Teven Jenkins last season, they are signing one of the better guards available on the market.
Continuing a Titans O-line overhaul, Davis will depart Nashville for a $30MM Chicago accord, Mike Garafolo of NFL.com tweets. The fifth-year guard will see $19.25MM guaranteed. This is a nice payday for Davis, who earned mixed reviews in 2022. But the former Titans third-round pick supplies extensive experience and will still join the Bears on what is effectively a midlevel guard deal.
Football Outsiders charged Davis with allowing an alarming eight sacks in 2022, and ESPN classified him as below average in run block win rate. But Davis also slotted in the top 25 in ESPN’s pass block win rate metric last season. And he held a vital role in helping Derrick Henry secure back-to-back rushing titles. Davis, 26, started 54 games in Tennessee and has consistently graded well, via Pro Football Focus, which slotted Davis as a top-25 O-linemen in each of the past three seasons (17th in 2022).
Jenkins graded as PFF’s No. 3 overall guard in 2022, showing considerable promise despite being a quick disappointment at tackle and drawing trade rumors early in Poles’ tenure. Whitehair has been with Chicago since 2016; he is under contract through 2025. It will be interesting to see how the Bears proceed here. Barring a Jenkins move back to right tackle or a Whitehair shift to center — where he started his NFL career — it would seem the Davis addition will lead to a shakeup at guard.
The Titans’ O-line situation goes well beyond “shakeup,” with Davis representing the third starter the unit is losing this offseason. The Titans released Taylor Lewan and Ben Jones and have 17-game guard starter Aaron Brewer unsigned. Unless new Tennessee GM Ran Carthon retains Brewer, 2022 third-rounder Nicholas Petit-Frere will be the only starter back up front for the retooling team.
White hair will be cut now
Nice pick up!
Whitehair cut or more hopefully he’ll be moved to center. Fields could use a veteran center.
He was awful at center (couldn’t shotgun snap) Hard Pass.