Should the Bears sign Bryan Stork?
Center Bryan Stork was released by the New England Patriots today, making him one of, if not the best, free agent center available right now. The Chicago Bears are a team currently undergoing some center problems, as starter Hroniss Grasu appears to be out for the year. As of now, they have veteran Ted Larsen at the position, but he’s not a pure center. Given these factors, one will likely believe that he should be a sure-thing target for the Bears. However, there are some things about Stork that the Bears should be concerned about. Let’s take a deeper dive into what they should do.
Stork, 25, has started 17 games in two years for the Pats. He was the projected starter going into this year, which makes his availability a bit surprising. He was an unanimous All-American and a first-team All-ACC at Florida State, and he has started in both the BCS National Championship and the Super Bowl. He definitely has the pedigree that the Bears’ front office loves.
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Stork is a pretty good pass blocker: he has only allowed 3.25 sacks in his first two years in the league. In 2014, he had the seventh-highest PBE (pass-blocking efficiency) for centers, according to PFF. He’s a good fit in a zone-blocking scheme, which is what the Bears run. Here’s an excerpt from his scouting report on NFL.com:
“Good-sized, bump-and-steer blocker ideally suited for a zone-blocking, slide-protection scheme. Smart, tough technician capable of serving as an interior swing backup and could eventually fend for a starting job as a pivot. Will be best developed by a patient, respectful position coach.”
The Bears would also like his ability to play guard, although it would be highly unlikely that they’d need to put him there.
However, a couple of negative factors also come in to play.
Well, for starters, there’s this:
Patriots C Bryan Stork has been ejected from practice for fighting. Credit Bears LB John Timu for restraint. Stork was out of line.
— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) August 16, 2016
That certainly isn’t going to help his case.
The Bears have a noted track record of getting rid of locker room problems. Brandon Marshall? Gone. Martellus Bennett? Outta here. It wouldn’t be like them to add a player like Stork from a chemistry stand point.
Plus, Stork also has concussion problems. He has had a concussion every year for four years in a row. If he gets one more, who knows how long he’ll be able to last. The Bears may not want to take that risk.
Even though there are a lot of positives surrounding Stork, the Bears probably won’t go all-out on him. Even if they do want to sign him, there are 10 teams ahead of them in the waiver order. Bryan Stork in a Bears uniform? Don’t bet on it.
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