On Tuesday, Chicago Bears defensive tackle Eddie Goldman decided to opt-out of the 2020 NFL season due to the health concerns over COVID-19.
The 26-year old is coming off a year where he started in 15 games and registered one sack and 29 tackles. This offseason the Bears brought back veteran John Jenkins to backup Goldman, but now could be starting on the Bears defensive line.
Jenkins, who is placed on the COVID-19/Reserve list, appeared in 16 games with the Miami Dolphins and recorded 34 tackles and one sack. Backing up Jenkins would be undrafted free agent Lee Autry out of Mississippi State.
The loss of Goldman is huge for the Bears as they lose a key starter and the depth gets thinner. Here are some players that can fill the void.
Damon “Snacks” Harrison
The 2016 All-Pro is one of the best available free agents left on the market. The 31-year old is coming off a down season with the Detroit Lions, where he totaled 49 tackles and two sacks. Before last season, Damon Harrison has had productive seasons mostly with the New York Giants.
Harrison has fielded a “competitive contract offer” according to Ross Uglam of Packers Report, but that was earlier in the offseason and nothing else has been said. The Bears could still a player from the Packers while upgrading their current defensive tackle situation.
Marcell Dareus
Earlier in his career, Marcell Dareus was one of the best defensive tackles in the league. The 2011 third overall pick by the Buffalo Bills recorded 28.5 sacks in his first four seasons but has slowed down since then. The 30-year old faced suspension due to the NFL’s substance-abuse policy before he was traded from the Bills to the Jacksonville Jaguars.
In the past five seasons, Dareus has missed 39 games. Just this past season he missed 10 games and recorded 13 tackles and half a sack. Clearly, Dareus isn’t the player he once was, but he could come at a cheap price and could have something left in the tank if he can stay healthy.
Mike Daniels
An intriguing player the Bears could bring in is former Green Bay Packer Mike Daniels. The 31-year old is coming off his first season with the Detroit Lions, where he played in nine games before hitting injured reserve.
The longtime Packer has missed a total of 13 games in two years, but before in 2018, Daniels was productive as he totaled 27 sacks, 114 tackles and 63 QB hits. Daniels is another player that could come cheap and be productive if he can stay healthy.
