I’ve been loving how busy the Chicago Bears have been today.
Particularly when it comes to filling holes on the defensive side of the ball.
I have little to no problem with the Bears addressing linebacker needs early in free agency. The Bears were aggressive in coming to agreements with T.J. Edwards and Tremaine Edmunds. Was off-the-ball linebacker the biggest need? No. But sometimes, the best way to go about filling needs in free agency is to sign the best players available, then let your coaches figure out how the pieces fit. And when the Edwards and Edmunds deals become officially official, Chicago’s front seven will be better than it was when we last saw the team on the field.
Even still … there are concerns about the defensive line. And rightfully so.
Because even though I like the depth that group could have, it lacks strength in the starting lineup. Thankfully, today isn’t the only day for teams to sign free agents. And it sounds like GM Ryan Poles didn’t forget about the defensive line. Chris Emma of 670 The Score name-drops Samson Ebukam as a potential Bears free agent target for one of the many vacancies on the defensive side of the trenches:
Ebukam, 27, has had a nice run with Rams (2017-20) and 49ers (2021-22). He has played in at least 15 games in each of his first six years. That availability isn’t something I want to overlook in searching for Bears free agency fits. Despite his gig as a role player, Ebukam has at least 4.5 sacks in each of the last four seasons. I’d say Ekubam is (1) thriving in that role and (2) deserving of more.
Perhaps Ebukam could benefit from an increase in playing time, which is something the Bears can offer right now. Ebukam was on the field for 59 percent of the Niners’ defensive snaps last year. That is a fair amount of plays, but there could be more for him in a place like Chicago. That 59 percent snap share represents his highest percentage of defensive snaps since 2018 (69%). What could Ebukam’s numbers look like if he was given a longer leash? Robert Quinn was in on 68 percent of Bears defensive snaps before he was dealt in a trade. What could Ekuban do with that type of snap share? It’s fun to ask. And maybe we’ll find out an answer if the Bears follow through with their interest and sign him.