The Chicago Bears address a huge need by adding Jermon Bushrod

Jay Cutler ought to be one happy man today. The Chicago Bears addressed yet another need on the offensive side of the ball by signing former Pro Bowler and New Orleans Saints offensive linemen Jermon Bushrod. Bears general manager Phil Emery has really gone after it in his second free agency running the Bears. The Bushrod signing, along with the addition of tight end Martellus Bennett, is a huge upgrade for one of the NFL‘s worst offenses.

If you ask most Bears fans what the biggest problem with the team has been recently, without skipping a beat most will reply with “offensive line”.  The Bears took a big step towards fixing that problem with the addition of Bushrod. The question now is: where will J’Marcus Webb go?  Webb has a very cap-friendly salary number and could remain on the team, competing for the right tackle position or as a swing tackle to fill in should an injury occur.

Bushrod is a two time Pro Bowler (2011, 2012) who has been protecting Drew Brees‘ blind side for the past several seasons. Not to mention he knows what it takes to win because he was a member of the Saints squad that won Super Bowl XLIV. Bringing him in also makes a lot of sense because his former position coach Aaron Kromer is now the offensive coordinator for the Chicago Bears.

The Bears have needed to address the offensive line since trading for Cutler prior to the 2009 season. It has been really hard to watch a quarterback with his talent running for his life and not being able to live up to his potential because of poor protection. The addition of Bushrod takes a lot of pressure off of Cutler as he should not have to worry nearly as much about who is covering his blindside.

Today could be the start of something great for the Bears offense. Landing two proven commodities at their two biggest needs shows exactly how serious they are. With Bushrod starting at left tackle, the Bears all around offense has improved dramatically.

Bushrod is an excellent pass protector and a solid run blocker as well. Bears fans ought to be pretty excited after day one of NFL free agency.