Alex

Bars

Bars spent three years with the Bears before joining the Raiders last offseason. He started 14 games for Vegas, appearing at both left and right guard. In Chicago, he also got reps at center and tackle. Bars is a backup-caliber lineman, but he can play any position in a pinch. He will likely return to Las Vegas as a reserve option for 2023.

Bars proved versatile with the Bears, playing guard, center, and tackle in his three years with the team. He started 11 games for Chicago over the past two years, appearing in every regular season game.

Bars was an exclusive rights free agent, and the Bears also re-signed fellow ERFAs ILB Josh Woods, OLB James Vaughters, and TE J.P. Holtz. Bars appeared in all 16 games last season, starting eight across the interior line.

Bars (6'6/312) is rehabbing back from a terrible ACL and MCL injury that occurred halfway through the 2018 season but his progression appears to be positive at least. Partially because of his injury and partially because of his skill-set, Bars is expected to be an undrafted free agent, but there is a chance he sneaks into the end of the draft now that he’s ahead of schedule.

“Bars does enough things to be considered with a Day 3 selection provided his knee checks out, but he’ll have to clean up his technique in order to be more than offensive line depth,” Zierlein notes of the 6-foot-6, 312-pound Notre Dame lineman. Touching on the knee injury which the analyst refers to, Bars tore both the MCL and ACL in his left knee midway through the 2018 campaign. Medicals may well determine whether or not he lands in the draft proper.

Bars was a huge part of Notre Dame’s early success, but the offensive lineman missed the last seven games of the season after tearing both the MCL and ACL in his left knee. Teams will want to make sure there’s no long-term structural damage here before investing a draft pick on Bars, but as Brugler notes, he was the “glue” of an offensive line prior to the injury, and his absence was noticable.

HC Brian Kelly said Sunday that “our doctors fear the worst” and indicated there may be damage to both the ACL and MCL in Bars’ left knee. “It’s devastating for us,” Kelly said. “I feel so bad for the kid.” The fifth-year senior was one of college football’s best interior linemen. Trevor Ruhland and Aaron Banks will vie to fill his vacancy.

Bars hasn’t been officially diagnosed, but coach Kelly said Notre Dame team doctors are fearing the worst. The redshirt senior might have ACL/MCL injuries which would definitely be season-enders. The loss for the Fighting Irish is more than just his valuable on-field performance. Kelly called Bars is “revered in the program” and his loss will be tough for everyone.

With 2015 right tackle Mike McGlinchey moving to the left side to replace Ronnie Stanley, Bars will kick outside to assume McGlinchey’s former post. Bars lost the second half of last season to a fractured ankle, but he’d accrued a solid +2.3 PFF grade in the run game prior to that time, “showing good athleticism to lock onto targets at the second level,” wrote Steve Palazzolo.

Bars suffered the injury during Saturday’s 41-31 win over USC. With the 6-foot-6, 320-pound redshirt freshman down for the count, Quenton Nelson took over against the Trojans. Nelson himself is dealing with a bit of an ankle sprain, but HC Brian Kelly was pleased with how he fought through the aches and pains. “That’s the expectation here,” said Kelly, “You’re going to have to play banged up.”