The Bears signed veteran center Will Montgomery to a one-year deal in the offseason, to stabilize the offensive line with someone familiar with coordinator Adam Gase from their days with the Denver Broncos. But Montgomery was lost for the season with a leg injury against the Oakland Raiders in Week 4, rocking the entire position group. Briefly.
Third-round pick Hroniss Grasu effectively “won” the No. 1 center job in the week of practice after the Montgomery injury. With Grasu inactive for the Raiders, Matt Slauson had moved over to center from left guard. But the days that followed that game, the rookie showed the coaches enough to install him at center, return Slauson to guard and assign Grasu to handle two-time Pro Bowl nose tackle Dontari Poe and the Kansas City Chiefs.