The Bears have a few needs to address on defense this offseason, among them edge rusher. While Khalil Mack saw a decline in production in an injury-riddled season for Chicago’s defense, he remains one of the best pass rushers in the league.
One of the things that general manager Ryan Pace hasn’t managed to do is find a productive edge rusher opposite Mack. Pace has a decision to make regarding Leonard Floyd, who is entering his fifth season with the Bears. He’s slated to make $13 million, but his production hasn’t been up-to-par with what was expected out of the former No. 9 overall pick.
Floyd’s sack production has dipped every season since he joined the NFL. Only, injuries weren’t to blame for his lack of production in 2019. Floyd had two sacks in the season opener against the Packers, but he managed just one sack in the final 15 games.
The Bears are doing their due diligence when it comes to edge rushers heading into the 2020 NFL Draft. Chicago met with several edge rushers at the NFL Scouting Combine.
K’Lavon Chaisson (LSU)
Yetur Gross-Matos (Penn State)
Jonathan Greenard and Jabari Zuniga (Florida)
Considering Floyd’s future with the Bears remains murky — they have until March 18 to release him to avoid paying his fifth-year option — there are several alluring options at edge rusher, including some of the ones they’ve met with above.
While it sounds like Pace is content with Floyd, that’s not stopping him from doing his homework on potential replacements. Even if Pace decides to keep Floyd under the fifth-year option, his future beyond that isn’t guaranteed.
