Many experts today argue that off-the-ball linebackers have little place in today's NFL. That is because it is a passing league. All you need are pass rushers and cornerbacks, right? Yet people getting paid millions of dollars continue to invest heavily in those positions. That is because football hasn't changed as much as those experts think. It would be best if you still ran the ball. Linebackers are required to stop it. There is also the fact a new generation of players is far more capable of playing coverage at those positions than in years past. The Chicago Bears approached their 2023 free agency period with full knowledge of this.
When Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards signed lucrative multi-year deals to join the team, everybody thought GM Ryan Poles had misplaced his resources. However, a close examination suggests he knew what he was doing. The Bears were second-to-last against the run in 2022. Adding two quality linebackers like them would instantly help. Also, both players are among the best in the league at playing coverage. It's hard not to feel like the entire unit is massively improved. Dalton Wasserman of Pro Football Focus certainly thinks so.
In his ranking of every NFL linebacking corps, the Bears went higher than most.
"2. CHICAGO BEARS
Chicago’s front seven underperformed in 2022, so the team used free agency to acquire two of the highest-graded players at the position. Tremaine Edmunds arrives from Buffalo after a long-awaited breakout that saw massive increases in his overall (81.9) and coverage (90.0) grades. The latter mark, along with his 10 pass breakups, led all qualified linebackers.
T.J. Edwards comes with less fanfare but was the unsung hero of the Eagles’ elite defense. He played nearly 1,200 snaps and graded above 78.0 against the run, in coverage and as a pass-rusher, which added up to the sixth-best overall grade (81.6) at the position.
Second-year man Jack Sanborn provides a good complement as a rugged, SAM-type linebacker in Matt Eberflus’ 4-3 defense. He showed flashes of talent last year, posting 80.0-plus grades in his last two games.
This group hasn’t played together yet, but the Bears are banking on talent and couldn’t have much more at their disposal."
The Chicago Bears believe their approach is the right one.
It has less to do with NFL trends and more to do with what is best for their defense. People often forget how vital linebackers are in the Tampa-2 system Matt Eberflus runs. The weak-side linebacker is a focal point of its success, while the middle linebacker must be able to drop into coverage to turn a Cover 2 into a Cover 3 without having to add another defensive back. When you have capable players at both positions, the system works really well. See Brian Urlacher and Lance Briggs in the mid-to-late 2000s.
Edmunds and Edwards may not be at that level, but they're still good players. Far better than what the Chicago Bears had last season. That is more than enough. The fact people already have such high expectations for this unit is exciting to see. Sanborn should return for training camp. Rookie Noah Sewell has also flashed in early practices. This is suddenly a young and athletic group with loads of versatility. If the defensive line does its part, they can be difference-makers on Sunday.
