Looking at Free Agency: The LB Class

Linebacker

The Bears

The Bears LB core has been okay at times, but is often the biggest weakness on the defense. The Bears ILB play has been mediocre, with McClellin being the best of a bad group. Christian Jones has been terrible and benched in favor of Jonathan Anderson. At OLB, Houston and Young have started to come on a little, but both are not great system fits and Houston is incredibly overpaid.

The Free Agent Class

The ILB class has a couple of options at the top end in Trevathan and Bradham who are young and fast, but it is not a strong group and their are not a lot of options. The OLB class has 1 superstar and a couple of really high upside athletes, but there is not a ton of depth or interesting options outside of the top guys. This looks like a group where you will have to strike early, or outbid people for the services of some projectable players.

ILB

Top End​

1. Danny Trevathan [Denver] 25 4 years 24 million/12 guaranteed [Karlos Dansby]

-He is so fast and he covers like a safety, and he does all this while still being a good run defender. Trevathan knows the coaching staff and he has produced. At 25 he should continue to improve.

2. Nigel Bradham [Buffalo] 25 4 years 24 million/12 guaranteed [Karlos Dansby]

-Another young LB that can flat out fly. I had concerns about him holding up playing in a 3-4, but he has looked good playing in a Rex Ryan defense.

3. Keenan Robinson [Washington] 26 5 years 20 million/8 guaranteed [Dan Skuta]

-Young, fast, and experience in the 3-4 he has the range that the Bears could use in the passing game.

4. Vincent Rey [Cincinnati] 28 5 years 20 million/8 guaranteed [Dan Skuta]

Young and Intriguing​

1. DeMario Davis [NYJ] 26 4 years 17 million/5 guaranteed [Bruce Carter]

-I was higher on Davis earlier in the season, but he has struggled in coverage this season and while he is young I do not know if he is the impact 3 down player the Bears are lacking.

2. Zach Brown [Tennessee] 25 2 years 6.5 million/3 guaranteed [Malcolm Smith]

-Has been injured, and inconsistent on the field, but he was a high pick is really athletic and could come in and provide competition at a reasonable price. Has aleady picked off 2 passes and defensed 3 more so he may be a nice coverage option.

3. Sean Weatherspoon [Arizona] 27 2 years 6.5 million/3 guaranteed [Malcolm Smith]

-A 1st round pick who has been derailed by injury, but when he was healthy in Atlanta he was pretty good and getting better.

Stop Gaps

1. Derrick Johnson [KC] 32 3 years 21 million/15 guaranteed [David Harris]
2. Jerell Freeman [Indianapolis] 29 3 years 18 million/6 guaranteed [Curtis Lofton]​
​
OLB

Top End​

1. Von Miller [Denver] 26 6 years 101 million/55 guaranteed

-If for some reason he hits the market the Bears should be on his door step with a massive duffle bag of money at 3:01 when free agency opens. He is worth 100 million and would give the Bears the best OLBs in the NFL.

2. Olivier Vernon [Miami] 25 5 years 43 million/18 guaranteed [Michael Johnson]

-Has not played a ton in the 3-4, but he is athletic and can get to the QB. Lacks consistent production, but he may be better in a 3-4 where he can attack from off the ball.

3. Bruce Irvin [Seattle] 25 4 years 31 million/15 guaranteed [Brian Orakpo]

-Another player with the speed and burst the Bears are missing, but who has struggled playing in a 4-3 and has not produced sacks consistently. But I can only think about what Fangio could do with an athlete like this.

4. Mike Neal [Green Bay] 28 3 years 10 million/2 guaranteed [Justin Durant]

-He isn't and impact player, but he is a solid OLB that brings a better combination of run defense and pass rush than Acho. He would not be a huge upgrade over what the Bears have now, but he may be a better scheme fit.

Young and Intriguing​

1. Lerentee McCray [Denver] 25 2 years 6 million/3 guaranteed [Akeem Ayers]

He is young, athletic, has experience with the coaching staff and he has room to improve. He has not produced much, but he has been buried on the depth chart behind 4 really good OLBs. McCray may thrive in more of a featured role.

2. Courtney Upshaw [Baltimore] 25 2 years 6 million/3 guaranteed [Akeem Ayers]​

-Has not been much of a pass rusher, but he is a physical run defender and hard worker. He would not be the pass rush signing the Bears need, but he has some upside and is still very young.

3. Nick Perry [Green Bay] 26​ 1 year 1.7 million/1 guaranteed [O'Brien Schofield]

-A super athletic 1st round pick, he has flashed a little bit.
​
​

Von Miller is going to get paid by Denver. It will be in the range that Justin Houston got.

No stopgaps. Youngsters or draft

Thanks Windy

I'd like Danny Trevathan but Bradham sounds intriguing and may be cheaper.

I'd spend the money if Miller becomes available but I can't believe he will. Don't want Vernon. People seem to be very 50/50 on Irvin which makes me concerned. However if Fangio likes him that would be more than good enough for me.

As long as they're young. I want Pace to continue to infuse the team with young talent with the odd 1 year veteran deals.

It would be great to get Jaylon Smith in the draft. The only others I take before him are Tunsil and Hargreaves III. Buckner I take after him.

One other I'd be happy with is Lerentee McCray who I'd get to replace Sam Acho. Acho has been fine but I want Pace and the Bears to continually look for better. If they think he has more upside in the pass rushing departmentthen this is a move I'd make. We don't need just one new pass rusher opposite McPhee. We need at least two more and I am not sure the options in the draft are that great.

Young and Houston seem to be improving and they still have a chance to stay but they need to continue to get better every week.

So are you flipping again on McLovin? He has had one very good game as a pro and the rest are either bad or 'backup-ish'. You change your mind on this guy more than I change my underwear lol.

Danny Trevathan - YES. I think you pair him with McLovin or just an run-of-the-mill ILB and you have upgraded a group.

Gotta get more athletic in the front 7.

Trevathan and Irvin would be a couple of really solid additions to the front 7.

RiDLer80 said:

Gotta get more athletic in the front 7.

Trevathan and Irvin would be a couple of really solid additions to the front 7.

Click to expand...

Those would be the guys I target.

They have big time speed. Another guy I'd like is Mike Daniels(DE) from GB depending on what he's looking for price wise. Getting a couple legit linebackers for Fangio and getting a guy like Buckner in the draft would be huge. The Bears could get by with Fuller/Porter and draft picks with that front 7.

ThatGuyRyan said:

Danny Trevathan - YES. I think you pair him with McLovin or just an run-of-the-mill ILB and you have upgraded a group.

Click to expand...

That is the idea. Extend Shea for peanuts then offer 20 million guaranteed to Trevathan who does everything Shea sucks at very well.

I like it and so would Fangio. Fox can play middle man.

ThatGuyRyan said:

So are you flipping again on McLovin? He has had one very good game as a pro and the rest are either bad or 'backup-ish'. You change your mind on this guy more than I change my underwear lol.

Danny Trevathan - YES. I think you pair him with McLovin or just an run-of-the-mill ILB and you have upgraded a group.

Click to expand...

No I would re-sign him as well, but we need a true playmaker beside him and maybe some competition behind him.

My ideal would be to sign Zach Brown, to at a minimum play the coverage snaps for Shea, and to draft Jack/Smith.

Sign Danny Trevathan, draft Reggie Ragland. Re-sign Shea to a small deal to be a backup. A weakness becomes a strength.

No mention of rolando mcclain?

Enasic said:

No mention of rolando mcclain?

Click to expand...

I doubt they are going to want much to do with a head case.

Danny Trevathan is the name the jumps out at you.

Not only does he have a relationship with Fox, his athletic ability is sorely missing from the Bears defense. His interception of Cutler was just an amazingly athletic play by an ILB.

andre branch is an option at OLB, he's had injury issues and has been underwhelming as a DE but could fit as a OLB opposite Mcphee and could come on a 1-2yr prove it deal.

Loved Trevathan as a late draft pick a few years ago. Bradham is a guy that's probably going to get better for the next couple years. Robinson hasn't been very good in Washington from what I've read, though I have not seen them play a single snap all year. Always had a thing for Vinny Rey, though I will admit he may be a guy that doesn't hold up his production over a full-time level of snaps.

Zach Brown is interesting. I think teams would run all over him at ILB. But he may be one of the best cover LBs in the game. Very fast. Don't know that I'd want him just to be a nickel LB in a 3-4, the way he should be.

Nick Perry (not Chandler Jones) was the guy I wanted instead of McClellin a few years back. He seems to be just coming on for the Pack. Pack stuff I've read online shows the fans really want him back, even moreso than they want Neal to return. I think he'll get much more than that though, or he'll just take that from the Packers and stay there.

I'm surprised no Vinny Curry on the OLB list. Or is he a full-time 3-4 DE now?

Cut Shea to send a message to the rest of the team. The Bears don't want soft players who don't make plays!

If Patrick Willis comes back is he a FA? If so, he has said several times how much he loves Fangio. We have a ton of money this offseason and their is serious young D talent available this off season.

I concur with Miller as well. He is one of the few players that I would break the bank for. JJ Watt is probably the only D player that I would pay more.

didshereallysaythat said:

Von Miller is going to get paid by Denver. It will be in the range that Justin Houston got.

Click to expand...

This was said about Suh last year as well, but Denver is crazy if they don't pay him.

I'm surprised there is not more Bruce Irvin talk. I think he could excell with fangio, opposite of mcphee, and with the addition of a talented 5 tech.