With all the amazing additions the Chicago Bears have made to the roster over the offseason, there are still question marks at certain positions. Whether it’s a lack of depth or a projected starter with some unknowns, some Bears players must step up in a big way next season.
5 Bears Players Who Must Step Up
LB Tremaine Edmunds
It hasn’t felt like a worthwhile investment, giving Tremaine Edmunds a four-year, $72 million deal. For one, T.J. Edwards has outperformed him every season on a cheaper deal, and the premise was that Edmunds would come in and fill the void left by Roquan Smith. He had a disappointing 59.2 overall grade by Pro Football Focus (PFF), which ranked 119th out of a possible 189 linebackers. The hope is that a change at defensive coordinator and new additions will help guide Edmunds back in the right direction.
RB D’Andre Swift
With all the talk over the offseason over which running back the Bears should draft, it ended with the team drafting Rutgers’ Kyle Monangai in the seventh round. It’s a great situation for D’Andre Swift, but now the pressure is on him to perform, and in a huge way, with a revamped offensive line and an offensive guru at head coach. If not, there will be some serious conversations about moving on from him after next season.
DE Dayo Odeyingbo
The Bears’ only major addition in the pass rushing department was signing former Indianapolis Colts edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo to a three-year, $48 million contract. The Bears struggled getting to the quarterback last season and desperately needed to bring in someone opposite Montez Sweat. Odeyingbo offers versatility with the ability to play both inside and outside, but he will have to put up a huge season for the Bears to have success on defense.
S Jaquan Brisker
This isn’t about his play on the field, but rather, being available to be on the field. Jaquan Brisker dealt with a serious concussion that sidelined him for 12 games last season, and he said he’s not concerned about his long history of concussions.
“I’m going to continue to play the same way,” Brisker said in a press conference. “That was my first time really having a contact injury. He hit his head on my neck, so he kind of just hit his helmet on the right spot. Really just moving on from that.”
Brisker is heading into the final year of his rookie deal after suffering a concussion in each of his three seasons with the Bears, and the hope is he’s able to avoid that problem next season.
RG Jonah Jackson
The Bears had a revolving door at right guard for the past few seasons, and the hope is that trading for Jonah Jackson fixes that problem. He had a down year with the Los Angeles Rams last season, but going back to guard after struggling at center last season should help him return to form, especially playing in between Drew Dalman and Darnell Wright. If Jackson can anchor the right guard spot, it should help elevate the entire offense.
Main Image: Lon Horwedel – USA Today Sports
The post 5 Chicago Bears Players Who Must Step Up Next Season appeared first on Last Word on Pro Football.