The Chicago Bears interviewed four defensive coordinator candidates this past week, seeking a replacement for Alan Williams. It didn't take head coach Matt Eberflus long to make a decision. He chose Buffalo Bills defensive line coach Eric Washington for the job. It is hardly a surprise. Washington is one of the most well-respected line coaches in the NFL. He also has connections to the organization, having worked under Lovie Smith for three years, from 2008 through 2010. The man is quite familiar with the Tampa-2 style of defense Eberflus runs.
There is no question that Washington will immediately impact the Bears' young defensive linemen like Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens. Maybe he could even unlock Dominique Robinson as well. However, there could be an added bonus once the off-season begins in March. Washington has several admirers in the player community as well. One of them is about to become one of the most coveted free agents in the league.
That is star Carolina Panthers pass rusher Brian Burns. Washington was with the team in 2019 when they drafted future Pro Bowler. As it turns out, the defensive end is a big admirer of his former coach.
Eric Washington could recruit Burns if available.
The situation with Burns in Carolina is interesting. Neither side seems to have come anywhere close to common ground on a contract extension, and it appears the defensive star has no intention of lowering his asking price. That leaves the Panthers with only two options. Either they franchise tag him or let him walk. The former sounds simple since Carolina has around $28 million in cap space. The problem is the tag cost for edge defenders this year is over $23 million. That would eat up most of the space, and don't forget the Panthers have no 1st round pick. So they can't exactly rebuild through the draft at the moment.
Their one hope might be tagging him and trying to trade him elsewhere. Unfortunately, other teams know they likely won't be able to keep him long-term. So, the chances of Burns hitting the market are higher than some believe. If he does, the Bears will have enough cap space to make a run at him if they wish. Pairing him with Montez Sweat would be a juicy idea. Now, they also have Eric Washington to help recruit him if the opportunity presents itself.
