One day after practicing at left guard with the second-team offense, Frank Omiyale was given a promotion and a new position Wednesday at Bears minicamp.
The free-agent acquisition was installed at right tackle with the No. 1 offense, less than 24 hours after veteran free-agent tackle John St. Clair had bolted the Bears for the Cleveland Browns.
“We’re trying to lock guys in,†said coach Lovie Smith. “He’ll play right tackle now. It’s hard enough learning a new system playing one position, so we’ll lock him in there for a while and go.â€
Omiyale, who agreed to a four-year contract with the Bears a few hours into free agency Feb. 27, started one game last season for the Carolina Panthers at left tackle. He has also played right tackle in the preseason and is willing to line up at guard if needed.
“Tackle is more what I’m used to; what I’ve played in the past,†Omiyale said. “But wherever they want me to be, that’s the position I’ll learn and take care of it from there.â€
Given Omiyale’s experience at tackle, making the move was an easy decision for Smith after the Bears lost St. Clair, who started all 16 games at left tackle last season.
“We knew we had flexibility with Frank,†Smith said. “He’s an athletic guy. He’s eager to learn, and of course [offensive line coach] Harry [Hiestand] will do a great job with him.â€
Moving on: Smith said that he wasn’t surprised by St. Clair’s departure.
“Free agency is a part of it,†said the Bears coach. “Each year some of your players leave and most of the time it opens up an opportunity for someone else to step in, and that’s what we’re looking to now.â€
“We’re disappointed that John left,†added offensive coordinator Ron Turner. “He was a good football player and we were all looking forward to having him back. But we’ve just got to move forward and get guys settled into their positions.â€
With only three tackles on the roster—Omiyale, 2008 first-round pick Chris Williams and first-year pro Cody Balogh—the Bears know that they must address the position.
“We’re always looking to improve our ballclub,†Smith said, “whether it’s free agency right now, and of course we have the draft coming around too. We need to get the numbers up with the offensive line right now. As you can see, we don’t have a lot of guys up.â€
Practice report: Kyle Orton looked sharp Wednesday for the second straight practice. His best throw came on a deep seam route to tight end Desmond Clark that the quarterback dropped over middle linebacker Brian Urlacher and in front of safety Craig Steltz.
Second-year tight end Kellen Davis made the catch of the day, reaching behind him to pluck a Brett Basanez pass out of the air and away from cornerback Marcus Hamilton.
Hurricane alert: Former NFL linebacker Micheal Barrow, now a linebackers coach at his alma mater, the University of Miami, attended Wednesday’s practice. Barrow reminisced with Bears punter Brad Maynard, his teammate on the 2000 New York Giants, who lost to the Baltimore Ravens in Super Bowl XXXV.
