Latest Roster Cut Might Be a Worthwhile Flier for Chicago Bears

The Seattle Seahawks hatched a mild surprise on Friday when the cut loose defensive end Marcus Smith. After signing him a year ago and re-signing him this offseason, the general belief was the former first round pick would become a regular part of their pass rusher rotation. Now, this. After missing a few days with a personal issue, the Seahawks refused to wait any longer and released him in favor of veteran Erik Walden. So should the Chicago Bears be interested? It's common knowledge they have lingering needs at the pass rusher position. Leonard Floyd is their only proven player. Beyond him it's a mix of unproven youngsters and former backups. Sam Acho is projected as their other starter at the moment. Aaron Lynch, their prime free agent addition still hasn't practiced due to a hamstring issue.

Then there's second-year man Isaiah Irving and rookie sixth rounder Kylie Fitts. Each has certain traits that are intriguing, but also flaws that are hard to ignore. That's why it's hard to envision the team being settled on helping that position however they can. Adding a former first rounder on a flier for dirt cheap sounds like something Ryan Pace would do.

Chicago Bears have a coach qualified to explore Smith to the fullest

It's hard to determine where things went wrong for Smith. Perhaps the easiest explanation is he just never got off the ground. In Philadelphia, he dealt with health issues and a defensive system that was never sustainable under head coach Chip Kelly. Then when Doug Pederson arrived in 2016, they switched to a 4-3 alignment. Something his scouting reports warned might not be ideal for him.

"A high school quarterback turned pass rusher who broke out with 14.5 sacks as a senior (1.12 sacks-per-game average led nation), Smith projects as a pass-rushing, 3-4 right outside linebacker in the pros. Should contribute initially on passing downs and has eventual starter potential as his game becomes more well-rounded."

He headed out to Seattle last season where he again tried his hand in their 4-3 scheme. There was some intriguing moments and it looked like he'd continue to work his way into more playing time. Then the coaching staff changed again and his personal issues cropped up. Circumstances just seem to keep getting in his way. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ydUnj9attQM The things that jump out about Smith are his agility, athleticism and burst off the snap. Not to mention a knack for being able to play on both the right and left sides. He's also got 34-inch arms so length isn't a problem. Long pass rushers is a preference of Bears defensive coordinator Vic Fangio. He's somebody who's no stranger to taking in former high draft choices and turning them into solid contributors. Former Giants first rounder Prince Amukamara had one of his best coverage seasons last year. Lamarr Houston, a former Raiders second round choice had his career-high eight sacks on his watch in 2015. Ahmad Brooks, a third round flop in Cincinnati went to a Pro Bowl thanks to Fangio. The same happened for former Buffalo first round safety Donte Whitner. Reclamation projects are a hobby of Fangio. Why not give the 26-year old Smith to him and see if he can work a little magic? It certainly wouldn't cost the Bears much to try.