Bears Blitz

Published by Bryan Dietzler on May 20, 2011
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

I am sure that you are well aware of the speculation surrounding where newly acquired offensive tackle Gabe Carimi is going to play.  He played left tackle in college and had his ups and downs facing some of the Big Ten’s best at the defensive end position (including Purdue’s Ryan Kerrigan and Iowa’s Adrian Clayborn).

He also comes from a school that has turned out some very nice talent on the offensive line (remember Joe Thomas in Cleveland?) so we can expect good things out of him.

But what can we expect from Carimi right out of the gate?  We know that he had a solid college career at the left tackle position, but that was college.  Can he step it up in the NFL and be a solid left tackle right away?

Depending on who you listen to, there are those who say that Carimi cannot play left tackle and needs to play the right tackle spot.  But, there are others who say the opposite and feel that he could play the left tackle position right away.

Which side is right in this debate?

Typically, the skills that are needed to play the left tackle position include the ability to come off of the ball quickly, gain leverage and control as well as keep defensive linemen off his body.  Footwork and quickness are also big parts of a left tackle’s game.

Carimi does come in as a good athlete, plays with a lot of intensity and is a very quick learner.  When it comes to tackle specific traits, Carimi is a strong pass-protector who can anchor well and turn back bull-rushers.  His lateral movement is good and gets into position well.  His angles to block the defender are well developed and he keeps himself in front of the defender.  Carimi has the ability to lock on to a defender, stick with them and control them. 

Carimi is also an ideal run-blocker and will drive his man off the ball and out of the way.  He can also reach targets not in front of him and move them out of the way.

Perhaps the most important trait that an offensive linemen needs to have (or most any player for that matter) is confidence.  They have to have the confidence to know that they are going to play well and beat their man.  Carimi has a lot of confidence.

The downside to Carimi begins with his footwork.  His footwork has failed him at times when trying to protect the quarterback when he drops back to pass.  He also struggles against rushers who have a lot of speed, and he doesn’t get his body into proper position when trying to make contact with defenders in space. 

Carimi may also slow down or stop his feet when protecting the quarterback and needs to better develop his kick-step when dropping back to form the pocket.  He also needs to get and stay lower when coming off of the ball, and did come with some knee issues.

He also has trouble keeping himself from bending at the waist and needs to work more on bending at the knees.  With that, he also plays stiff and isn’t as agile as some would like him to be.  There are times where he ends up on the ground, as well.

So what position should Carimi play in his first season with the Bears?  It depends a lot on how things go with him in training camp.  Right now, it appears that he projects better at the right tackle position, perhaps at least to start, than he does at the left tackle position.  But that doesn’t mean that he can’t play on the left side.

The best bet for the Bears is to allow Carimi to develop over on the right side while moving
J’Marcus Webb to the left side.  This will allow him to develop on the right side and, sometime in the future, move to the left tackle position.

Do you think Carimi will be able to play on the left side right away or should the Bears wait and develop him on the right side?

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