Joe Thomas got into the hall of fame with 33 inch arms. Rashawn Slater is an all pro with 32 inch arms (along with Taylor Lewan, Mitchell Schwartz, Joe Staley, and several more recent OTs in the NFL). Poles also took Velus Jones 6 picks ahead of Bernhard Raimann, who had an astonishing good year and was in all pro consideration with 32 inch arms.
Meanwhile, Braxton Leno has 35 inch arms, Wright 34 inch, and neither are very good.
Too many idiots are talking about arm length like it should matter when evaluating a prospect. It’s why the Chicago bears continue to be a stupid franchise. When Poles told everyone in the moratorium presser that he’d like to draft OL, but the right guys aren’t available when it’s his turn to pick—it goes to the stupidity of limiting himself and his options because of an old, archaic, incompetent mentality when it comes to building the best OL.
Banks, Campbell, and Milium should all be under immense scrutiny and review. But not because of their arm length, the totality of the package of the player should matter more. What’s their bend like? How’s the footwork? What’s he anchor like? Does he want to play football for a living (have to ask this now after giving loaf ass Nate Davis 15 mil for doing nothing)? Is he preinjured? Why was he good in his college scheme? Is he a run mauler, pass protector, or new-age ‘agile’ OL where it’s his job to get to a spot and block a guy? What kind of offense are the bears running and which kind of OL fits what you’re trying to do?
