Officially Official: T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, Nate Davis, DeMarcus Walker, and Travis Homer are Chicago Bears
We’ve had some busy days following the Chicago Bears, but the start of the new league year means that all of that hard work can become officially official.
In other words: New year, new Bears.
So let’s get the rubber stamp out and push across news of the newest Bears — T.J. Edwards, Tremaine Edmunds, Nate Davis, DeMarcus Walker, and Travis Homer.
Former Bills Defensive Coordinator/Bears Super Bowl XX champ Leslie Frazier on Tremaine Edmunds
The Tremaine Edmunds signing felt like it came out of nowhere. And then you remember that the Bears were wanting to pay Roquan Smith at some point, but were never able to come to terms. Fast forward to March 2023 and the Bears gave gobs of money to Edmunds, who has two Pro Bowls under his belt and could have more coming.
“They’re getting a tremendous player … And he’s a tremendous leader as well. Not only is he a good football player—a guy who can make plays—but his teammates, they really gravitate to him, and they look to him to lead, both on the field and off the field, in the locker room and the classroom. He’s that type of guy. They’re getting a special player who’s a tremendous leader and who’s also a great person. His parents did a great job of instilling in him the importance of integrity and just being a high character individual.”
You can read more about Edmunds here.
Check out T.J. Edwards’ first interview with Chicago radio in his return home
It’s a homecoming for Edwards, the 26-year-old Lake Villa product who grew up a Bears fan.
So, naturally, Edwards’ first radio interview after agreeing to terms with the Bears came with 670 The Score — the city’s longest-running local sports talk radio station.
And, yeah, I’d say the buzz is real:
Listen to the entire interview below:
And for more on Edwards, check this out.
Watch Nate Davis take on Packers stud Kenny Clark
When facing the Packers, your interior offensive line better be stout. Teven Jenkins held it down last year at right guard, but he can’t do it all alone. Hence, the value of adding Davis to a line to beef up the interior. I enjoyed watching this clip of Davis holding his own against Kenny Clark, a star defensive tackle the Bears will see twice a year until further notice:
Read this for more on the Bears’ newest offensive lineman.
DeMarcus Walker brings the heat (and versatility)
OK, so the defensive line is still a long-term need for the Bears. But for now, it looks like the plan is to load up on versatile and interchangeable pieces. It isn’t my favorite plan, but it is one that has proven to be successful on some levels. Depth and flexibility is king in the NFL, after all.
Hence, I’m digging this analysis from ESPN’s Matt Bowen that shows how disruptive Walker can be:
Want more on the Walker signing? Check this out.
Travis Homer is a special teams demon
The 2022 Bears were riding the struggle bus in many areas last year. But one place in particular that bugged me was when the reserve backs were struggling with special teams. It is tough to keep a job if you’re a down-the-depth-chart back who isn’t chipping in on special teams in a positive manner. And I think this is where Homer’s signing with Chicago comes into play.
On Dec. 8, 2021, Homer was named the NFC’s Special Teams Player of the Week for his efforts against the 49ers. In what was a 30-23 Seahawks win, Homer put up a 73-yard touchdown run on a direct snap on a fake punt. And later, he came up with a fumble recovery on a kickoff.
Check this out for more on the newest member of Chicago’s backfield.
