Will Slauson stay at center for Chicago Bears?

It's not a question of whether Chicago Bears guard Matt Slauson needed a little more decompressing than usual after Sunday's 22-20 victory over the Oakland Raiders.

He did.

"It was tough," Slauson said, a day after moving from his comfort level at left guard to center when Will Montgomery was injured on the third play from scrimmage. "I spent time with my family, had a couple beers … and then a couple more.

"It definitely took me a long time to come down. I was spinning for a while."

When Montgomery went down, Slauson took over in the middle. Patrick Omameh, who has been with the team for just a month, took Slauson's spot at guard. And it all worked out.

Coach John Fox characterized Slauson's effort as "tremendous." Fox added: "It wasn't all hunky-dory. But they didn't panic and just kept swinging the sword and did pretty good."

Slauson may have still been unwinding Monday afternoon when he came to the podium at Halas Hall barefoot, in a black Harley-Davidson T-shirt and blue jeans. He said he tried to keep it simple Sunday.

"When I had to make that move, what helped me was I didn't think about it," he said. "I was just locked in. I couldn't overstress, because I would just fall apart. I just tried to lock myself in the zone and not think about anything else.

"I was surprised at how long it took me to come out of that."

He could be right back in it this week in preparation for a meeting with the Chiefs in Kansas City.

Montgomery will be sidelined at least for the next two months with a fractured fibula. The other center on the roster is rookie Hroniss (huh-ROW-niss) Grasu (grass-ooh), who may or may not be able to handle the job, which includes calling out blocking assignments and protections.

It's possible the Bears could bring in an unemployed journeyman or swing a trade, but Slauson may be their best option at center for now.

Fox offered no clues Monday when asked about Grasu, the third-round draft pick out of Oregon.

"He's a very talented player," Fox said. "I think everybody in our locker room, or in our football building, has confidence in him. At some point, we will get to find out."

Grasu (listed at 6-feet-3, 297 pounds) was a four-year starter for the Ducks and a vocal leader, a role that has been mothballed for now.

"He's a rookie, so he's trying to learn as much as he can," Slauson said. "Plus, us older guys don't give him the opportunity to talk."

Grasu's verbal skills will come in handy if he takes over in the pivot, where he will be asked to handle the same duties as Montgomery.

"He sets everything," Slauson said of Montgomery, the 10-year veteran who arrived as an unrestricted free agent in April with the benefit of having played last season for Fox and offensive coordinator Adam Gase in Denver. "The communication is so fast with him in there."

It's asking a lot of a rookie to fill Montgomery's shoes, but it could create a more seamless transition for an O-line already in flux.

Charles Leno, the 2014 seventh-round draft pick, played his first full game at left tackle Sunday in place of injured Jermon Bushrod (concussion/shoulder). And right tackle Kyle Long was a guard until the season opener.

So the decision comes down to whether the coaching staff prefers Grasu or Omameh in the starting lineup, and the veteran staff doesn't appear overly fond of rookies.

Even if he doesn't start there, Slauson will have to be ready to step in again at center.

"I don't know what the plan is," he said. "But even if I don't start in that spot, I still have to be ready to play it. If we have Hroniss in there or if we bring in someone, I would assume I'm still the backup. So I still have to be ready to play."

Keep the beer cold.

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