The Chicago Bears have a minor crisis on their hands regarding the defense. It isn’t a coincidence their first significant move in free agency was signing Larry Ogunjobi. With the departure of Akiem Hicks, head coach Matt Eberflus knew the team had to find an interior pass rush presence to make his defense work. Then the veteran failed his physical, forcing the team to pivot to Justin Jones instead. Some fear that may not be enough to solve the problem. Often in cases such as this, teams start experimenting with possible solutions. Enter Sam Kamara.
Most fans likely don’t remember him. An undrafted free agent out of Stony Brook, Kamara was a defensive lineman with five sacks over his final four games before the pandemic prematurely ended his college career. That didn’t stop him from cracking the Bears’ roster as an undrafted free agent despite being asked to shift to an unfamiliar position at outside linebacker. As a rookie, he had six pressures and a sack in the preseason, then five pressures in 46 rushes during the regular season.
All while playing out of his natural position.
.@Samkay_11 with the sack! 💪 #BUFvsCHI | #DaBears pic.twitter.com/bMrbL1CBbu
— Chicago Bears (@ChicagoBears) August 21, 2021
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Sam Kamara made most of his noise as a defensive tackle.
Coming out of Stony Brook, he was 6’2 and 275 lbs. One look at his body type suggested he was most at home in the middle where his natural leverage could do the most good. He had the necessary quickness and motor to make it work. His size made it impossible to play defensive line last year because 3-4 linemen must be big and long. Requirements for a 4-3 defensive tackle are significantly different. History shows shorter players with good quickness often thrive in this system. See Aaron Donald, Geno Atkins, and Warren Sapp for modern examples.
Nobody is saying Sam Kamara is anywhere near their level of talent, but the NFL has to be about maximizing your players’ strengths. The Bears need options at defensive tackle. He was always a better fit for that spot than outside linebacker. It wouldn’t be too difficult asking him to pack on some pounds so he can kick back inside. After all, his odds of making the roster as a defensive end are far less likely. So convincing him to make the switch would be a formality.
I honestly think that Charles Snowden has been a forgotten man as well. Charles possesses all the qualities that Flus likes at DE. Length, Speed, and Motor. I think he surprises people this year and makes a splash at camp and preseason. Remember last year he was just coming back from a pretty bad injury that ended his college career early.