By John Mullin, CSNChicago.com
The vagaries of a year in the NFL never cease to amuse.
Nearly 12 months ago, Frank Omiyale was being touted as a potentially epic bust in Bears free agency history. Now the hyperbole pendulum has swung nearly off the scale the opposite direction and Omiyale in some minds is being measured for a bust.
With the condition of Chris Williams right hamstring a looming cloud over the offensive line, Omiyale projects to be the answer at that position until Williams can return, and possibly even after that. Omiyale moved from his spot at right tackle to Williams spot on the left early in Sundays win over the Dallas Cowboys, a move that will stand as testimony to Omiyales ability to adjust, literally, on the run and under extreme pressure.
I told my wife that it was probably best that it was like that, where it was more of a reaction, Omiyale said. You didnt have time to think about the situation. It was more, Hey, theres a game going on, were trying to win this thing, do what youve got to do.
In February 2009 the organization lavished $11.5 million in a four-year contract on Omiyale, a player who spent 47 of his first 48 NFL game days on the Carolina Panthers inactive list. He had started exactly one game, in 2008, for Carolina at left tackle.
That apparently was enough for then-Pro Personnel Director Bobby DePaul to target the 6-4, 315-pound Omiyale in February last year. The Bears signed him but then proceeded to put him where he didnt belong.
When I came in, I was thinking tackle, but I knew the opportunity was at guard if I really wanted to get on the field, Omiyale said. I think it was more after I was here, switching around in OTAs, I think it was more in their mind as a guard last year.
Ironically, the reason Omiyale was handed the starting left guard job, which he subsequently lost to the since-released Josh Beekman, was because the Bears wanted to get bigger and more mauling-ly physical inside. Now Omiyale is the subject of discussion as the offenses left tackle, not because of his physical play, but because of his athleticism.
Thats why we made the decision to move him over to the left tackle position, coach Lovie Smith said. Hes athletic enough. You need a good athlete there, quarterbacks blind side and all that.
Second chance for the Bears
The Bears, who have devoted few draft resources to their offensive line, missed badly in the case of Omiyale, a three-year starter at Tennessee Tech at, of all places, primarily left tackle.
When the Bears turn came at slot No. 140, they took South Carolina wide receiver Airese Currie despite having invested their second-round pick on Oklahoma wideout Mark Bradley. Currie was brittle, spent his first two years on injured reserve with the exception of one game, and was gone in 2007.
The Atlanta Falcons took Omiyale with pick No. 163. He languished on the bench as a backup to Kevin Shaffer, now his backup in Chicago.
Left tackle may in fact be Omiyales comfort zone, although he has shown excellent recovery skills. After losing his guard post last year to Beekman, he eventually regained his job and performed well enough through the late season that the Bears decided to install him at right tackle in the offseason.
In training camp Omiyale started slowly against Bears pass rushers but responded to strong words from line coach Mike Tice and became visibly more aggressive after some suspect practices in camps early weeks.
Now Omiyale has played three different offensive-line positions (left guard, right tackle, left tackle) in the span of three games and projects to have three different starting positions in the span of four games, assuming his remaining at left tackle Monday night against the Green Bay Packers.
It did make me feel good that Ive played three positions now on the O-line, Omiyale said. Now, Ive just got to keep getting better. I was able to work in there, but I still didnt play as good as I want to play, and thats what my goal is every game, to grade out well.
John “Moon”
Mullin is CSNChicago.com’s Bears Insider, and appears regularly on
Bears Postgame Live and Chicago Tribune Live. Follow Moon
on Twitter for up-to-the-minute Bears information.
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