The Bears taking Teven Jenkins in the 2021 second round has not led him to be a surefire answer at one of their tackle spots. With a new regime in place, the team looks to be exploring what it could get for one of the previous regime’s top investments.
Jenkins’ name has come up in trade talks, according to Ian Rapoport and Mike Garafolo of NFL.com (on Twitter). The Bears have both received calls and held trade discussions on Jenkins, who has three years left on his contract.
After Jenkins went through an injury-abbreviated rookie season, he did not finish this offseason working primarily with the first unit. The Bears were using Braxton Jones, a rookie fifth-rounder, at left tackle and Larry Borom, a 2021 fifth-round choice, as their first-string tackles. Chicago has since signed Riley Reiff. The 10-year veteran has worked as a starter throughout his career, and he should be expected to be a starter at one of the Bears’ tackle spots. Reiff has played both left and right tackle as a pro.
Chosen 39th overall last year, Jenkins was ticketed to be one of the Bears’ tackle starters as a rookie. The Ryan Pace regime traded a third-round pick and its No. 52 overall selection to move up 13 spots for the Oklahoma State blocker. But a back injury suffered during last year’s training camp changed the team’s plans. Jenkins underwent surgery last August, leading the team to go with veteran Jason Peters on the edge, and did not debut until late November. Jenkins did make two starts as a rookie, but the Bears fired both Pace and Matt Nagy at season’s end. The Ryan Poles–Matt Eberflus regime does not appear as high on Jenkins.
A possible path for Jenkins at guard has also surfaced, potentially giving the 6-foot-6 blocker some additional value in trades. Should a team move to acquire Jenkins, it would have him on base salaries worth $1MM, $1.4MM and $1.8MM through 2024. The Bears would save just more than $1MM if they moved him.
I’m confused as to why anyone would give us something for him, don’t you just wait for him to be cut, or are we talking a player for player trade?
How can you figure out something is wrong unless you see him in pads practicing. How can you trade someone until they can actually see him play in a game?
because a team will want him on his rookie contract that way if he works out they get him for cheap. my guess would be 4-7th round draft pick
Anything below a 3rd should be a hard pass. Trading him for a 7th round garbage pick is going to be really bad. Especially if he starts anything more then 1 game in the next 3 years. That would be 1 more start then the bulk of 7th round picks ever get.
Ouch. One problem with Ryan Pace’s GM tenure is that because he traded up so much, when one of his picks flopped, it was a higher percentage of the team’s draft capital going down the drain. In his last five drafts as GM, he took a total of 10 players in the first three rounds. That makes trading up for a Jenkins or Anthony Miller (or being weirdly addicted to tight ends) look even worse. There’s still time for Jenkins, but yikes.
So glad Pace is gone.
I remember last year that when Justin Fields suffered a late hit, this dude was the only one who came to Fields’ defense and fought for him. Poles also echoed the sentiment that he doesn’t like when the o-line doesn’t fight for the QB. Seems culture-wise that Jenkins is a good fit. He also only played a couple games. I think they are moving on too quick.
I agree with the culture sentiment… but he simply doesn’t fit the quick/mobile linemen model that Getsy wants for his zone scheme.
He’s been held out of training camp so far and is not on any injury report. Poles and Eberflus haven’t said a word about it. There may be other issues here. A report from Chicago this morning was saying the guy, though very talented, may have some maturity problems. You never know if that stuff is true, but a high second round pick put on the trade market so soon, is unusual.
If it turns out he’s another Ereck Flowers…they can’t trade him soon enough.
And if he ends up starting for another team for all 17 games and all the Bears get is a 6th round pick it’s going to look extremely bad.
KC may be interested…
Same line system. If it doesn’t work in Chicago how’s it going to work in KC?
He’s had two starts in his career. Chicago may be looking to move on from him. Who’s saying that it doesn’t work in Chicago and how can it be determined that it’s not working after two starts?
KC doesn’t run the same line scheme. They ran the same line scheme as Nagy. Getsy runs an outside zone.
Ok. I would have thought with only two starts under his belt he could be a little more adaptable to change.
Doesn’t matter. You can’t trade him for a pick who isn’t going to be a starter or a bench player. At least without having him play in actual pre-season games.
I take a 3 or no deal. Always need OL and we already have injuries.
Word is he has maturity problems and is throwing a temper tantrum and/or faking an injury after being put on 2nd string team in camp. Even if partially true, what team would want that in their clubhouse?
A team that wants the things he can do physically? They’re hiring football players, not guidance counselors.