Our series looking at the Chicago Bears’ position groups continues today as we preview the linebackers unit.
Today, as we continue to preview the Chicago Bears and their position units, we look at the linebackers. The Bears have a history of having some of the best linebackers in the league. That doesn’t change with this group. They have All-World Khalil Mack wreaking havoc. Despite some whispers from fans that maybe he’s losing a step, analysts from around the league still see the same force of nature affecting opposing offenses.
In addition, the Bears have Roquan Smith. Smith earned the distinction of being one of NFL.com’s All-under-25 team. He hasn’t made the Pro Bowl yet, but he was on the NFL’s All-Pro second team. The future is bright for him.
The Bears have some big names on the linebackers unit but some of those names have to step up and return to their glory. Chicago spent a lot of money on the unit and they need to get a return on that investment. Let’s take a look.
The starters
Inside
Smith is ready for a breakout season. Not only that, he’s ready for national attention. We in Chicago know how good Smith is but it appears that he’s still a secret among most of the NFL world. More are noticing, though, and that number will grow.
Smith recorded a career-high 139 tackles (98 solos), six quarterback hits, four sacks, seven pass defenses, two interceptions, one forced fumble, and one fumble recovery. His 18 tackles-for-loss led all inside linebackers and ranked second in the NFL to outside linebacker T.J. Watt. It was disappointing that he didn’t make the Pro Bowl.
Smith is playing on his rookie deal. The Bears did pick up his fifth-year option so there is time to negotiate a new deal. It’s going to be a big extension so the sooner they get it done the less expensive it’ll be.
The San Francisco 49ers just gave Fred Warner a huge 5-year, $95.2 million deal. More importantly, he has $40.5 million in guaranteed money. Smith has played better than Warner so that deal surely makes him happy.
Here is how Smith compares to Warner:
G | Solo | AST | Loss | QB Hits | SKS | FF | FR | Int | |
Roquan Smith | 44 | 253 | 108 | 31 | 13 | 11 | 1 | 1 | 4 |
Fred Warner | 48 | 253 | 114 | 15 | 14 | 4 | 5 | 3 | 3 |
If Smith has another big season, the price just goes up. If the Bears wait until after 2022, the number needed to sign him will be astronomical. That is the year the new television deal kicks in and teams will have lots of money to spend. The salary cap will skyrocket so Smith will cash in.
In addition to Smith on the inside, the Bears have Danny Trevathan. Trevathan had an up-and-down season last year. He started out struggling but then picked it up as the season progressed. Perhaps not having Eddie Goldman in the middle hurt him the most. Goldman took a lot of attention and his presence made life easier for the linebackers. Without him, Trevathan had an adjustment to make.
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With his good friend back this season, Trevathan should play better right out of the gate. Remember, also, that he had an elbow injury that sidelined him for the final seven games of the 2019 season. He finished the season with 113 tackles, the second-most of his career.
The Bears need Trevathan to be healthy in 2021. Smith is only getting better so Trevathan only needs to complement him. The two of them make a strong duo and if they stay healthy the Chicago Bears defense will be strong once again.
Outside
On the outside, Mack just needs to continue to do what he always does. Yes, his sack totals have gone down the last couple of seasons. However, he hasn’t had the help on the other side to keep opposing defenses honest and off of him. He continually sees double and triple teams so he runs through an army of bodies to get to the quarterback. Despite that, he still ranks among the league leaders in quarterback hits and pressures.
New defensive coordinator Sean Desai is a Vic Fangio disciple. The one season Mack and Fangio were together he had one of his best seasons. That came even though he didn’t have a preseason to help him get ready. Fangio was a more aggressive coach than his successor, Chuck Pagano ended up being. Desai will return to that aggressiveness. With that happening, let’s see if Mack’s sack total rises.
For Mack’s sack total to increase, though, he needs help from the other side. When ha got to Chicago, he had Leonard Floyd. Floyd was unable to put things together enough to help Mack. Of course, after the Bears parted ways with Floyd he went and became a super linebacker. Imagine the two of them together playing at an elite level.
After the Bears gave up on Floyd, they went out and signed former All-Pro Robert Quinn. He’s an established veteran with success so the thinking was pairing him with Mack would give the Bears pass rush wonders.
That didn’t work, however. Quinn ended up with just two sacks. One of them came on his first snap of the season. The second one didn’t come until late into the season.
The Bears hope Quinn has a bounceback season in 2021. They still have hope that he and Mack will combine to cause as much trouble as possible.
The Backups
The Chicago Bears brought in a familiar face to help the linebackers unit. They signed Christian Jones. Jones was an undrafted free agent who signed with Chicago in 2014. He played four seasons with the Bears before leaving for the Detroit Lions via free agency. The Lions surprisingly cut Jones and the Bears quickly scooped him.
Jones will provide good depth inside. He is a starting-quality player and provides insurance should Trevathan go down. Also, at 31, Trevathan is no longer a spring chicken. To keep him healthy, the Bears need to give him some rest not only during the week but also during games. Jones will do that. He can take a good chunk of snaps so Trevathan stays well-rested and healthy throughout the season.
The Bears also have Josh Woods. Woods is a solid backup and playing for the Bears the last two seasons he knows the system. He’ll also help on the inside.
The Bears also went out and signed free agent Jeremiah Attaochu. He’s another player who has some starting experience. That helps provide good depth for the unit. The plan for the season is to have Attaochu play a good deal of snaps to help keep Quinn fresh and healthy. If that works, then Attaochu can make some plays and help Quinn. A fresh Quinn can then make the big plays the coaches expect.
Last year’s fifth-round pick Trevis Gipson will get a chance to see the field more this season. He’ll likely back up Mack. The Bears are high on him, hoping he’ll eventually take over for Quinn down the line. He has a chance to reward the coaches for that confidence in him.
Also in the mix is Joel Iyiegbuniwe. He was the Bears’ fourth-round pick in 2018 but hasn’t seen the field much other than on special teams. Now, he has to show that he belongs in the conversation for something other than special teams. He needs to take his shot now.
The verdict
This is still a very strong linebackers unit. There is talent all around. If the Bears could find a way to give some rest to their older veterans that will make the defense much stronger. Desai will up the aggressiveness on the unit so expect more pressure on opposing quarterbacks. The key will be whether the guys opposite of Mack can start producing. If they do, then the quarterbacks around the league will be suffering when they face the Chicago Bears.