The Chicago Bears have a major challenge in front of them for 2020. Most of their focus will be on fixing the offense. That’s hardly a shock. The unit is 30th in the NFL in scoring and still has questions at quarterback. It is a no brainer that GM Ryan Pace will put most of his time and energy there. That said, the defense can’t be ignored. One specific area that continues to be in desperate need of some adjustments is the outside linebackers. Specifically regarding Leonard Floyd.
Having Khalil Mack is a great thing. However, it’s also overshadowed just how inadequate the rest of the position is. Mack has 8.5 sacks in 2019. The rest of the position group including Floyd, Aaron Lynch, and Isaiah Irving had three. In 15 games. That paints a pretty grim picture of just how much it’s on Mack to carry the load. If they want to maximize his effectiveness, Pace can’t let that happen again.
Unfortunately, the opportunities for finding a solution are already starting to dry up. The Houston Texans got a head start on next year when they handed veteran pass rusher Whitney Mercilus a four-year contract extension, taking him off the 2020 free agency market.
Leonard Floyd is not what the Bears need
Coaches have consistently defended Floyd all year long. They feel what he lacks in sacks he makes up for in his ability to defend the run and drop into coverage. That’s fine and all, but it’s no secret that most of the great defenses are defined by their pass rush. The Bears weren’t able to get to the quarterback enough in 2019 and it cost them in too many close games. Pace has remained patient with Floyd for long enough. It’s time the team found somebody who can actually compliment Mack.
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Mercilus is the first big name off the board. There will be others to follow. Shaq Barrett, Markus Wheaton, Jadeveon Clowney, and Yannick Ngakoue are all due for major pay raises. The Bears don’t have a lot of money to throw around but they still need to be proactive in fixing this issue. If free agency isn’t the answer, then it will have to be early in the draft. One way or another, they can’t put this off any longer.
