The Bears, who recently lost projected starting right tackle John St. Clair to the Browns, signed former Brown right tackle Kevin Shaffer to a reported three-year contract. The teams have essentially swapped right tackles with the Browns ending up with the better player for their system.
Nonetheless, the signing is a key one for the Bears because of the implications it has for the organization in this year’s rookie draft. With only the untested Frank Omiyale as an option at right tackle prior to Shaffer’s signing, the team would practically have been forced to use a high draft pick on an offensive tackle one year after selecting left tackle Chris Williams in the first round.
Fantasy Football Impact
The Bears first option was obviously re-signing St. Clair but this move fills a huge hole for the team, potentially allowing them to use their first round pick at the wide receiver position where they are desperate for depth. This is a solid fallback option and the journeyman Shaffer figures to provide better run and pass blocking than a rookie would. Matt Forte and Kyle Orton’s prospects look a little better today.
