Joe Thuney looks like a good acquisition, albeit not for long. He's had nine seasons, and 146 starts. That's a ton of mileage on an offensive line in the NFL. He's good, damn good, and I think the Chiefs would have preferred to keep him, but given they've committed to paying Trey Smith and desperately need a left tackle immediately, they just couldn't afford his $16 million cap hit. The Bears probably won't get more than two years from him, three maybe, but his veteran presence and pedigree - the man has four Super Bowl rings, two with New England and two with Kansas City - are exactly what are needed for a team looking to establish a winning culture in the most important group on any offense.
Jonah Johnson is a different matter. He also is getting about $15 million next year but spent almost the entire last season hurt. I suspect the Rams - who seem to know how to judge talent very well - know more than anyone else about how healthy he's going to be, and they were willing to dump his salary. Ben Johnson coached him until 2023, so I am thinking Poles did this deal to keep his new coach happy, and if Johnson is healthy he might well be a good pickup. That's a big if, I'm thinking. He's 28 years old, 6'4", 315 lb. Some people in town think he can play center. Training a guard to play center when you're also trying to grow your young quarterback is a recipe for chaos. I don't think Ben Johnson is dumb enough to try this.
Here's the thing: both men are left guards. Last year, with the Chiefs injury situation, Thuney played left tackle and did it pretty well. There's reason to think with his experience and high football IQ, he could shift to right guard, but this would hardly be ideal. The Bears have acquired two left guards, one old and one with health questions. They still desperately need a right guard and a center, and an upgrade at left tackle wouldn't be a bad idea.
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