Kreutz Practicing After Being Out with Injury

Olin Kreutz participated in his first practice of training camp on Tuesday.  He has a sore Achilles’ tendon that kept him from practicing up until now.  Kreutz is a six-time Pro Bowler and the offensive line desperately needs his presence as center.  In his typical hard working fashion, Kreutz told reporters he wasn’t happy about getting to rest longer and said, “You’ve got to get your work in, so I’m glad to be back.”

There are two major reasons that Kreutz needs to be back o the offense.  The first is that last year’s offensive line was ranked ninth from last in how many sacks they allowed with 44 and they also had a less than amazing running game, averaging 3.1 yards per carry.  Although weak players in both the quarterback and running back position are partially to blame, the offensive line definitely has some room to improve.

Which brings me to the other reason Kreutz needs to be on the field.  In an effort to boost the strength of the line, most of the line has been shuffled with new players being added in.  Metcalf is a starter for the first time while rookie Chris Williams will be starting as well.  Unfortunately, Williams is still out with a back strain.  The sooner the Bears can get their entire offensive line healthy, the sooner they will know if the new lineup will work.

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