Chicago Bears: Hroniss Grasu Helped By Secret Weapon

After an inconsistent rookie season, people have already begun to give up on center Hroniss Grasu. The Chicago Bears are not among them.

They still strongly the believe the former 3rd round pick from Oregon has the capacity to become their middle man of the offensive line for the future. It’s just a matter of finding more ways to help him improve. He’s already put on more weight from where he was last season, up to around 310 lbs. Even so, it’s unlikely he’ll develop into a power center anytime soon. That’s never been his game. Thus the goal has become to find somebody who knows how to work around that problem.

Enter Kevin Mawae. NFL fans will remember him as an eight-time Pro Bowl center for the New York Jets and Tennessee Titans. He shares much in common with Grasu. Both went to powerhouse programs in college. Both were Day 2 draft picks and both were considered undersized. Mawae weighed in at just around 290 lbs during his career. He knows what it’s like to hold the label of not being big or strong enough.

Now the Bears are hoping he can convey how to deal with such issues to their young center as the Chicago Tribune indicated.

"“The Bears seem to have matched Grasu’s investment by hiring Mawae, 45, for the summer. He and assistant offensive line coach Ben Wilkerson know one another through their alma mater, LSU, and the Bears connected Grasu with Mawae as a rookie.They have similar body types, Grasu said, so watching Mawae’s game film offers answers about how to win against certain blocks or schemes.“What stands out is just how nasty he played,” Grasu said. “He played full speed, fast. That’s what I’m trying to get to.”Mawae has not been made available to reporters, but Grasu’s teammates notice his impact. Grasu sits next to Mawae in meetings.”"

More from NFL Mocks

This is exactly the kind of hands-on, thoughtful approach that GM Ryan Pace and head coach John Fox have fostered since taking over the Chicago Bears last season. They want to make their own draft picks work rather than having to rely on outside free agents or trade acquisitions. In years past, the team might’ve just decided to cut bait on Grasu after his poor rookie showing and sought out a more consistent veteran.

That is no longer the case. Barring something unexpected, he will be the starting center when the season gets going in September. The team has confidence the work he’s put in to get bigger and stronger, combined with the valuable instruction of one of the best centers in the past 20 years, should at least make him a capable starter moving forward.

Home/NFL News