Left tackle Charles Leno poised to build upon first start
Leno poised to build on first start as he fills in for Bushrod
Leno is set to make his second consecutive start at left tackle with starter Jermon Bushrod still recovering from a concussion.
The Charles Leno Jr. experiment at right tackle in the preseason didn’t work. He was beaten, penalized and ultimately back on the bench.
He had performances that didn’t inspire confidence in a starting battle with Jordan Mills. Instead, it was Kyle Long who became the starter at right tackle, despite his own limited experience.
“I saw opportunity, and I was just overzealous, I really believe,” Leno said Wednesday at Halas Hall. “You can feel it, and then you see it on tape.
“It’s just like, ‘ Man, I’m doing stuff I’m not usually doing.’ OK, I need to adjust that and go back to what I was born to do, and that’s play football.” On the left side. Leno is set to make his second consecutive start at left tackle with starter Jermon Bushrod still recovering from a concussion. His first start last week against the Raiders was exceptional, considering he was often left one-on-one against outside linebacker Aldon Smith.
“This is a guy who was thrown out there in the hardest position in the NFL today,” Long said. “And I thought he did a great job against Aldon Smith, who’s a terror,”
The notion of moving Long to left tackle at some point remains a hot topic, considering Bushrod’s age and injury situation and Long’s athleticism and tenacity. Bushrod remains a reliable starter when healthy, but the Bears have to think beyond him.
Coach John Fox was asked about moving Long to left tackle last week, and he seemingly left the door open, saying what he was doing on the right side was a good start.
But Fox also said Leno’s skills work better on the left side.
“I played it more in college and high school,” Leno said. “I’ve been doing it my whole life — left side. I played a little bit of right tackle in college. It’s more comfortable [on the left]. Honestly, my body’s just adjusted to it more, and that’s about it.”
The Charles Leno experiment at left tackle is only one game old. But his success is something that the coaching staff, which cut two-year starter Mills, saw coming.
In Bourbonnais, offensive line coach Dave Magazu highlighted Leno, a seventh-round pick in 2014, as a young player with a ton of ability.
“He’s going to be a good football player,” Magazu predicted.
The Raiders, with Smith and Khalil Mack, are an example why two viable tackles are needed. The Chiefs, with Pro Bowl outside linebackers Tamba Hali and Justin Houston, are another.
“That’s the tackle position,” Leno said. “[The challenge is] every week.”
Long will primarily face Hous- ton, who had 22 sacks last season. Leno will have to contain Hali, whose experience and lack of offthe-field issues make him a formidable challenge than Smith at this point.
“[Leno is] a physical player,” Hali said in a conference call. “He comes off the ball and he gets his hands on you as fast as he can to try and stop your speed.”
That’s what Hali saw Leno do well against Smith.
Overall, Leno looked nothing like the player who struggled immensely in the preseason. Of course, he was on a different side.
“I went in there, calmed down — that’s what I did, I played within myself,” Leno said. “That’s the biggest thing I did, and I just put in the work. I’ve put in a lot of work since I’ve been here, and I’m going to continue to do it.”
The win over the Raiders could be just the start for him.
“It’s just building that confidence,” Leno said. “I’ve got to keep stacking it, play after play, game after game.”
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