Someone to Play Alongside Roquan Smith

The Bears will probably need to bring in a cheaper unrestricted free agent or two at linebacker to play alongside Roquan Smith and the group available includes a few with good experience in their new style of defense.

GM Ryan Poles was assessing the type of Bears he's looking for on defense to fit coach Matt Ebeflus' HITS philosophy.

"It's fast, physical, it's guys that attack, relentless, that have endurance, that can do it for a long period of time," Poles said.

While they looked at the combine for linebackers in Indianapolis to fit this, they also are going to be looking for those players in free agency.

The large number of lineup holes they'll need to fill results from so many of their own players now being in the urestricted market and not being fits for the new schemes, anyway.

Linebacker is a key spot here as they need more off-ball linebackers now in a 4-3 style.

As Poles has put an emphasis on second and third phase free agency, the cheaper the better. They would take this route at linebacker, anyway. With Roquan Smith about to break open the Halas Hall vault with a big contract, the less paid for effective players at the other linebacker positions the better.

They've already approached this position by signing Joe Thomas and Noah Dawkins, but these were street free agents. They'll likely need to add a linebacker or two in the later free agency phases who actually were starting.

It's a lot easier to obtain players like this for a particular scheme in free agency at a reasonable price than it is to go out after high-priced wide receivers.

Here are some of the players on defense who could be in the mix as second- and third-phase free agents for the Bears to consider.

LB Anthony Walker, Browns

This is the quintessential free agent linebacker from a later phase of free agency. He's also a former member of Eberflus' defense with the Colts for three years. He knows the scheme and should be reasonably priced at what Pro Football Focus believes will be $4 million a year average annual value with $5.25 million guaranteed. He has another tie to the city in that he played college ball at Northwwestern. He led the Browns in tackles in his one season away from the Colts as a free agent on a $3 million deal, coming up with 113 tackles. The 6-foot-1, 235-pounder was around the ball more in coverage while in the Colts' scheme with 11 pass defenses and three interceptions in his three seasons under Eberflus.

Ja'Whaun Bentley, Patriots

A 250-pound middle with great size who didn't step up until Year 3 but now has 91 and 109 tackles the last two years and last year stripped the ball three times. Pro Football Focus believes he'll come in around $5 million average on his next deal which puts him in range for the Bears.

Jayon Brown, Titans

An effective inside linebacker who had hamstring and knee injuries last year and was limited to 10 games last year. He has had 39 starts in four years and has been effective against the run and pass but PFF believes he'll come in around $4.5 million average.

Christian Kirksey, Texans

He's familiar with the cover-2 style as a linebacker who started 13 games and played 789 snaps in Lovie Smith's defense last year, making 93 tackles and an interception. He came in at $3 million last year and there's no reason to believe he should skyrocket in price. He actually played inside in the 3-4 and 4-3, having been with Green Bay in 2020 and with the Browns three years before they went to the 4-3.

Kwon Alexander, Saints

He's plenty familiar with the 4-3 middle as he came into the league in 2015 playing for Lovie Smith's Buccaneers, and then was in San Francisco in 2019-20. Alexander made as many as league-high 108 solo tackles in 2016 but played for only $1.1 million last year when he had an elbow injury and made just eight starts.

Nicholas Morrow, Raiders

Another undersized (6-2, 225) off-ball type who missed all last year due to a foot injury after making 11 starts in 2020 and eight in 2019. The injuries will help keep down his price. He hasn't made more than 62 solo tackles in a season.

Jermaine Carter Jr., Panthers

At 6-1, 225, he played about three-quarters of their defensive plays last year and hasn't been enough of a producer to cash in big time. He's been so-so in coverage with passer ratings against the past three seasons beteween 88.9 and 104.3 but last year missed on 15 of his tackle attempts, or 14.6%, and they can't have that from 4-3 linebacker.

LB Jonathan Bostic, Commanders

The 2013 Bears second-round pick quickly was sent out of Chicago and took three years to catch on as a full-time starter but has been one for five straight years with the Colts, Steelers and Washington. Paid $2.5 million last year, he went on injured reserve with a pectoral muscle tear after four games. It's been two general manaers and three coaches who have gone through Halas Hall since he was a Bear so a return wouldn't be out of the question. But he didn't seem a fit for what Indianapolis was going to do when Eberflus took over their defense and left there so expecting him to sign in Chicago now would make little sense. 

Eric Wilson, Texans

In his sixth year now, he's started only for Minnesota in the 2020 season. The Eagles had him and waived him last year and he wound up getting work in Lovie Smith's defense last year. He made $2.7 million last year and it would seem unlikely he'll get as much this year considering the difficult season he had in 2021. Sportradar says he allowed 85.7% completions last year in coverage, but in two previous years was at 72 and 69.2%.

Kamu Grugier-Hill, Texans

Another linebacker from Smith's team who started more games (14) last year than any time in his career. He had a career-high 108 tackles and an interception to go with three pass break-ups. He could be in line for a slight upward adjustment from last year's $2.5 million but has had only 31 starts in 83 games so this isn't a high-priced standout.

Nick Vigil, Vikings

A starter four of his six seasons, he's been a 4-3 linebacker throughout and last year had 85 tackles for the Vikings in 12 starts. He played for just $1.75 million last year.

Elandon Roberts, Dolphins

An inside linebacker in Miami's 3-4 but he has played middle in a 4-3 with the Patriots during his six NFL seasons and started in four of his years. He is coming off a career-high 83 tackles. Last year Roberts came in at a $2.14 million cap hit last year so cost isn't likely to be a problem.

Alex Anzalone, Lions

Always a backup with New Orleans in the middle in a 4-3, he started in Detroit's 3-4 last year with mixed results. One thing he does do well is cover passes and last year had seven pass breakups. In three of his last four seasons he's been at 84.6 or better in passer rating against and could be a good fit for the middle or strong side in a defense with Roquan Smith playing the weak side. He played only for $1.73 million last year. He's best known to the Bears for injuring Mitchell Trubisky's shoulder in 2020 after Trubisky had been benched and came off the bench for one running play against the Saints. 

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