What Does the Signing of Marcus Davenport Mean For the Bears Defensive Line?

The Chicago Bears are ramping up the competition along their defensive line. According to CBS Sports senior reporter Matt Zenitz, they've agreed to terms with veteran edge rusher Marcus Davenport.

The 29-year-old has 43 career starts under his belt, and his combined experience playing under Dennis Allen, along with the fact that the team is eager to field a quality pass rush, makes him a safe bet to make the 53-man roster.

While it might not be a Maxx Crosby-level addition (fans shouldn't hold their breath on that one), it is one that slightly moves the needle. When motivated, he's been a solid run-stuffer throughout his career, and that's an area where he could help Chicago's defense.

Davenport's experience under Dennis Allen could allow him to contribute

Dennis Allen coaching the Saints — Oct 27, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; New Orleans Saints head coach Dennis Allen on the sidelines in the second half against the Los Angeles Chargers at SoFi Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images | USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect

Dennis Allen was the Saints' defensive coordinator when Davenport was selected with the 14th pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. They actually gave up their first-round pick from the next year to move up 13 spots to select him.

It was a shocking selection at the time, as the vast majority of the crowd thought New Orleans was moving up to select Louisville quarterback Lamar Jackson. Instead, Allen managed to convince Sean Payton to mortgage the future on the 6'6", 265 lb. edge rusher.

Davenport may have fit the size profile that Allen covets out of his edge rushers like a glove, but he never lived up to his sky-high potential (even with a career-high nine-sack campaign in 2021) in the Big Easy. Injuries cost him a handful of games every season, and he had only 21.5 sacks over his five years with the team.

Marcus Davenport on the field — Sep 25, 2022; Charlotte, North Carolina, USA; New Orleans Saints defensive end Marcus Davenport (92) rush off the field against the Carolina Panthers during the second half at Bank of America Stadium. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

While he failed to live up to expectations in New Orleans, that was still the most consistent he's been throughout his career. Injuries have taken a major toll on Davenport in recent years. He's played in only 14 games over the previous three seasons.

Most recently, he started seven games in Detroit last season. However, he didn't make much of a dent in the stat sheets, finishing the season with only eight tackles and one sack. Aside from his half-sack campaign in 2024 (when he played only two games), it was easily his worst season to date.

It feels safe to assume that he earned some level of Allen's trust through their work together in New Orleans. The move probably won't put the defensive line rotation over the top anytime soon, but he will probably be expected to play a role as a run stopper on early downs. He could also rotate in on passing downs, and he does have enough size (his Wiki page says he's up to 285 lbs.) to play a hybrid role on the interior. However, they might be content with what they've seen from their defensive tackles through the first few weeks of training camp.

The question that bears asking is whose roster spot he will be taking, as the Bears have a healthy amount of depth in their current defensive line rotation. Will this put Kentavius Street, who was a surprise training camp standout, in danger? Or will his previous experience on special teams (where he has 400 career snaps) put Daniel Hardy on notice?

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