Massie: 'I'm here to move people'

Make no mistake, 6-foot-6, 316-pound offensive tackle Bobby Massie knows exactly why the Bears acted quickly in free agency to lure him with $18 million over three years, including $6.5 million guaranteed.

"I'm here to move people," said Massie, whose strength is as a run blocker, "and to keep Jay Cutler upright. Open holes for the running backs and make sure Jay has enough time to find the receivers."

The physical, brute strength aspect of the job has always been the best part of Massie's game.

"I'm nasty in the run game," he said. "Pass game, I'm efficient. I can't really be too aggressive in the pass protection as an offensive tackle. I'm patient. So that's how I would describe it."

Massie started 30 games over the past two seasons, all at right tackle, for Arizona Cardinals playoff teams that went a combined 24-8 in the regular season.

Massie also started 16 games for the Cardinals' 5-11 team as a rookie in 2012. The following year Bruce Arians took over as the head coach in Arizona and brought a philosophy that Massie believes can help the Bears' rebuilding job following 5-11 and 6-10 seasons.

"Bruce is a great coach," Massie said. "(He said) 'Either you like getting your (butt) kicked, or you don't. If you want to change that, do something about it.' You can't get used to (losing).

"That (Lombardi) trophy is what we all strive for at the end of the year. I want to help be a part of getting the Bears back to that."

If Massie helps get the Bears to the promised land, three-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman Kyle Long gets an assist, since he helped recruit the 2012 fourth-round pick.

The relationship between Massie and Long goes back to their high school days in Virginia - and it didn't get off to a great start.

They skirmished during a game in Massie's senior season when he recalls getting an elbow to the head from Long.

"They had to come down and break us up," Massie said. "It was raining, and Howie (Kyle's Hall of Fame father) came down with his umbrella like Batman."

But for two weeks before free agency officially began, Long was giving Massie his best sales pitches to join forces on the Bears.

"He's a good recruiter," Massie said. "If there's somebody good out there, and he wants them on the team, he's got the ability to make that happen because of who he's become on this team."

Massie is strictly a right tackle, which is where Long played last season. But with Massie at right tackle, it allows the Bears to move Long back to his original position at right guard, where he could be a perennial Pro Bowler for the next several years.

Long also could switch again to left tackle, but the move to guard makes more sense, and it's a major reason Massie chose the Bears.

"It was the opportunity to come here and play beside a dominant guard in the league (Long), who was a good friend of mine," Massie said. "That played a big part in it."

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