The Chicago Bears made several moves that were celebrated this off-season. One was trading for Keenan Allen. Two others were drafting Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze. Signing D’Andre Swift also received some love. One move that didn’t get much attention or love was the sign of veteran center Coleman Shelton. Fans weren’t happy about it. Not because they hated the player. It was more because they saw it as GM Ryan Poles once again playing it cheap at such a crucial position on the offensive line.
Shelton won’t solve the problem. At least, that’s what armchair GMs had to say. Dan Pompei of The Athletic heard a lot differently from actual NFL talent evaluators. Two different scouts believe the Bears quietly got a rock-solid player who is utterly dependable at his job. Yeah, he’s not an elite talent. There are some holes in his game. Still, he’s a smart and athletic player who finds ways to do the job.
The scouts see some vulnerabilities here. Surprisingly, the position they have the fewest questions about could be center. That’s because they have seen free-agent signee Coleman Shelton play consistently over 32 starts. They also like the potential of Ryan Bates, who will likely begin the season as a swingman.
“There is a comfort level with Shelton,” Scout C says.
Scout A calls Shelton a serviceable journeyman who knows how to play. Scout B points out Shelton doesn’t handle a bull rush well, but he knows how to use his athleticism and technique to his advantage.
Zooming out on his 2023 season, where he was the full-time starter for the Rams, it was an average year. He allowed 36 pressures, 12 hits, and two sacks on the quarterback. However, one must look closer. In the final ten games of the season, including the wild card playoff round, Shelton allowed only 15 pressures and zero sacks. He was playing some excellent football. It isn’t clear why the Rams didn’t choose to keep him. They opted to move former Pro Bowl guard Jonah Jackson to center instead.
Whatever the case, the Bears stand to benefit from the most. While they may not have gotten the next Olin Kreutz, they definitely upgraded in the middle. Coleman Shelton may not be the long-term fixture people wanted, but he’s a solid player who can hold the position down until the team finds somebody better. Poles knew he couldn’t take a big leap at every position this off-season. He had to settle for a short-term solution somewhere. He could’ve done a lot worse than Shelton at center.
