The addition of guard Josh Sitton, one of those extremely rare cases of a quality offensive or defensive lineman actually reaching the market, upgraded the offensive line. But exactly how?
Sitton gives the Bears multiple offensive-line options, all of them seemingly good:
Sitton to left guard, Cody Whitehair to center — Coaches dislike changing two positions to fill one, and Whitehair has limited experience at center. But positioning a clearly talented rookie with huge upside between two Pro Bowl guards Sitton and Kyle Long helps the rookie’s learning curve besides assembling three very physical interior players.
Sitton to center, Whitehair at left guard — Sitton can play center. "He's played that spot before," Green Bay coach Mike McCarthy said in Aug. 2014 when the Packers needed a replacement for injured JC Tetter. He reached Pro Bowls playing both left and right guard, underscoring versatility. Whitehair, like Long, has established as a rookie that he is a starter-quality NFL lineman.
Sitton to left guard, Ted Larsen at center — Whitehair effectively beat out Larsen at left guard through the offseason. Larsen is right now arguably a better center if only based on experience, so requiring Whitehair to establish via practice that he is a better center than Larsen is consistent with the “best five will start” mantra of offensive line coach Dave Magazu.