Bears expected to make a run at this under-the-radar offensive lineman

Chicago Bears fans expect general manager Ryan Poles to make a handful of splash signings in free agency this year. It’s a fair expectation considering Chicago has the most money to spend in 2023. But if the latest nugget from the Chicago Tribune’s Brad Biggs is any indication of how Poles is approaching 2023 free agency, Bears fans may be a bit disappointed.

“It sounds as if the Bears could have interest in interior lineman Wes Schweitzer, 29, who spent the last three seasons with the Commanders,” Biggs wrote. “He can play guard and center and played his first three seasons with the Atlanta Falcons working under Bears line coach Chris Morgan. Schweitzer has 60 career starts. When the Bears talked about having a good veteran presence in the room last season with guys such as Riley Reiff and Michael Schofield, this makes sense because Schweitzer could bring a similar presence and knows the scheme.”

Biggs qualified his report by stating it’s unclear whether Schweitzer would be signed to compete for a starting job, but the fact he has this intel so early in the free agency calendar suggests this could be all but a done deal.

Schweitzer appeared in seven games (six starts) in 2022, scoring a career-low 59.3 overall grade from Pro Football Focus. He’s started 60 of 80 career games after joining the NFL as a sixth-round pick of the Atlanta Falcons in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Schweitzer’s best season came in 2021. He scored a top-tier 85.6 run-blocking grade from Pro Football Focus and has proven to be an unspectacular but quality interior offensive lineman so far in his career.

He’s also a heck of a rock climber:

Wes Schweitzer is a different breed pic.twitter.com/Oi1uHJrUTT

— Jordan (@wshingtontoday) May 31, 2021

Biggs added that the Bears are expected to move on from Sam Mustipher, making Wes Schweitzer a quality addition who can play center and guard as either a starter or high-end backup.

Would Schweitzer be a signing that makes Chicago Bears fans celebrate on Twitter? No. But if he’s part of a deeper and more headline-grabbing class of free agents, it’ll be a fine transaction.

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