I tapped our Bucs blogger for a quick run down on recently aquired Dan Buenning.  Here is what he had to say.

We drafted Buenning back in '05 and he immediately received playing time and started much of his rookie season. In '06 he was a stud until he injured his knee about mid-season. Since that injury he's really had a difficult time finding his footing. He sat out all of '07 and really struggled this off-season to even provide depth along the line....

Dan's only 26 so he should be able to overcome his recent struggles. He played primarily at Guard for us, but attempted to become the back-up center to Jeff Faine this off-season. With Davin Joseph going down at RG a battle immediately brewed between Buenning and Rookie Jeremy Zuttah to handle the work load. Jeremy won hands down..

I think Buenning could do good with a change of scenery, but he's got to bounce back from his injuries to prove his worth.. He's been getting pushed around alot, but i thought he was certainly serviceable at Center during the Pre-Season... I guess Gruden and Company didnt agree...

It seems like as soon as I am just ready to open up a good can of rant on the Bears for not addressing some particular need, they make a move.

The Bears have traded for Dan Buenning from the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.  The left guard came to the Bears for an undisclosed 2009 draft pick.

To make room on the roster, the Bears waived rookie cornerback Zackary Bowman, a fifth-round draft pick from Nebraska. The trade is contingent on Buenning, a 26-year-old Green Bay native, passing a physical.

Buenning was a 16 game starter as a rookie.  His second year he started 9 games before tearing his right ACL. The Bucs picked up two more first round linemen, Devin Thomas and Arron Sears, making him despensable.

I'll work on getting some more info from our Bucs blogger, if anything else this gives the Bears depth.  With second year man, but first time starter Josh Beekman currently at that position and Terrence Metcalf coming off an injury and not really being a quality full time answer this is a good move.

Thanks to thecoolest for first pointing this one out.

I don't know what the Bears currently think of their offensive line situation, but it appears that they are not 100 percent content with it.

The Bears along with the Chargers, Giants, Bucs and Rams have contacted the agent of Bengals recent cast off Willie Anderson.

Anderson by name alone would be an improvement over Fred Miller, who still has not decided what team he wants to join.

The Bears also get a little bit of a boost with Terrence Metcalf returning to practice.

The Bears need to do something to bolster this line and Anderson might be a good start.

On a side note fellow recently cut Bengal Rudi Johnson is reportedly going to join the Detroit Lions.

During the Bears pre season game with the Kansas City Chiefs he pulled off something that not  many do.  He played a full pre season game.

He played left guard due to the injury to Terrence Metcalf, then moved over to center when Olin Kruetz's day was done.

Chicago Bears coach Lovie Smith said Sunday that he likes what he's seeing from second-year guard Josh Beekman

We need all the help we can get on the line, if Beekman can work his way into the starting line up or provide depth at more than one spot that is gravy for us.

Last year when Ruben Brown went down to injury, Terrance Metcalf was brought in to fill in.  Now with Brown no longer with the team Metcalf is the default starter.  But he doesn't plan on just accepting the spot, he wants to prove he deserves it.

“It’s a huge opportunity,” Metcalf said. “I feel like it’s time for me to step out and play, just do what I know I can do, do what I know the coaches believe that I can do. That’s pretty much it.

“I feel very prepared for it. All it is is putting in the work, putting in the time in the classroom, doing extra work and doing whatever I need to do to be physically ready to get on the field.”

Whatever.  If he is the best of the guys up for the job, then have at it, so long  as somebody protects the QB.

I know one question that has been bandied about here for some time concerns 2nd year lineman Josh Beekman of Boston College.  He was not used last year, partly do to injury.  Many wondered where he fit into this year's roster.

During a Q&A with Lovie Smith that very question was asked in relation to who would replace Ruben Brown:

Terrence Metcalf has started a few games since he’s been around here, and we like his potential. Josh Beekman hasn’t had a chance to play, but he’s done some good things too. We know that John St. Clair has started for us inside, but right now John St. Clair is a tackle. I would say it would be between Terrence Metcalf and Josh Beekman at this time. As far as your second question, there aren’t any plans to re-sign Ruben right now.