Grades for Chicago Bears Free Agents

Content originated from DA BEARS BROTHERS.

WAUKEGAN, Illinois – The Chicago Bears knew they had work to do in free agency, with holes at many different positions. Since the 2016 NFL Season began five days ago, the Bears have been active in addressing major holes on the defensive and offensive side of the ball.

To date, Chicago has signed four new players in free agency, with each of them having the abilities, experience and talent to help move the Bears in the right direction.

Here are my grades for each newly acquired free agent:

(Credit to: chicagobears.com)

Danny Trevathan, ILB – Trevathan was a no-brainer for the Bears to pick up in free agency. The young, high motored, playmaking linebacker was exactly what the Bears needed to address at the linebacker position. Last season, Bears’ inside linebackers Christian Jones and Shea McClellin, struggled in pass coverage and lacked the ability to make game-changing plays. Trevathan, who played on the number one defense a season ago, was a huge impact player for the Broncos. He filled up the stat sheet with tackles and had a nose for the football. One of Trevathan’s biggest strengths is in his pass coverage. He drops back really well and has great instincts when it comes to turning his hips to run with receivers. Here is a good example of him using those techniques when he picked off JayCutler in their last meeting at Soldier Field. Trevathan is only 26-years-old, so he still has plenty of opportunities to grow and develop into the linebacker the Bears so desperately needs. Under defensive coordinator Vic Fangio, Trevathan should progress nicely.

One weakness about Trevathan is his size. At 6-foot-1, 240 pounds, he is undersized at the inside linebacker position. If the Bears’ Defensive line doesn’t do a good enough job at occupying the offensive linemen, those offensive linemen will work their way to the linebacker level and be able to block the undersized linebacker.

Moreano’s Grade: A  

(Credit to: chicagobears.com)

Bobby Massie, RT – At the end of last season the Bears offensive line struggled to keep Cutler upright. With newly acquired left tackle Massie, the offensive line that was penalized the most last season for holds, with 35, should get a huge improvement in keeping their quarterback on his feet. Massie is a staggering 6-foot-6, 316 pounds and will give defensive lineman all they can handle when it comes to rushing the quarterback. Massie will replace three-time probowler Kyle Long at right tackle, moving Long to his natural position at right guard. With each player at their natural position, this will strengthen the offensive line as a whole. Massie’s biggest strength comes in the run game, where he will use his enormous size to move defensive lineman. Head coach John Fox loves to run the ball, so look for Fox to call plenty of runs to right side of the line this season.

One area of concern for Massie is his ability to get off the line quick enough in pass protection. The left tackle has great size, but it can be a disadvantage when he has to go against speedy edge rushers.

Massie’s needs to improve is his pass blocking. Since Massie is a bigger offensive lineman, it takes longer for him to get out of his stance. After watching

Moreano’s Grade: B

(Credit to: chicagobears.com)

Jerrell Freeman, ILB – The weakest position on the Bears defense a season ago was at the inside linebacker position. On the first day of free agency the Bears addressed that weakness by acquiring Trevathan, but they didn’t stop there, three days later they signed another inside linebacker in Freeman. Freeman spent four season with the Colts and before that spent three seasons in the Canadian Football League. In his four seasons with the Colts, he racked up over 100 tackles in three of his four seasons. Freeman also has an act for making plays, with eight forced fumbles and four interceptions in his NFL career thus far. The Bears brought in two linebackers who know how to fill up the stat sheet and cause turnovers. Trevathan and Freeman make the Bears weakness a season ago into a strength.

After watching some film on Freeman, one area that the linebacker can improve on is his pass coverage. He does a good job when it comes to covering running backs in the backfield, but when receivers cross his face in the middle of the field, Freeman tends to forget his assignments. As the season progresses watch to see how Freeman does against multiple receiver packages, that are designed to attack the middle of the field.

Moreano’s Grade: B-

(Credit to: chicagobears.com)

Akiem Hicks, DL – Versatile, big, and nasty are words that describe the monsters of the midway or new defensive linemen, Akiem Hicks. At 6-foot-5, 324 pounds Hicks is a monster of man to handle. Not only does Hicks require a double team on most downs, he can also play defensive end and tackle. This is what makes Hicks so dangerous and a player that offensive coordinators need to game plan for. The former Patriot has a high motor and is good with using his hands to shed off blockers.  Hicks isn’t going to fill up the stat sheet, but he is going to fill up holes for opposing running backs; giving opportunities to Freeman and Trevathan to make tackles for loss.

The biggest concern with Hicks is that he wasn’t a every down guy. When he played on the Patriots he would be in on one defensive series, but be on the sidelines on the next one. With a Bears defensive line that doesn’t have a lot of depth, lets see if the Bears can rely on their new linemen to be on the field when they need him most.

Moreano’s Grade: B

Bears Top 2016 Free Agent Targets

Content originated from DA BEARS BROTHERS.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The Bears are projected to have $59.2 million in cap space going into the offseason. With a team that has plenty of holes to fill, the Bears who were last in the NFC North last season will look to address some of those holes and bring some new faces to the windy city.

After determining the Bears' needs and examining the upcoming free agency class, I've pinpointed a handful of players that Chicago must target in order to restore the roar for the Bears.

Here are the top five free agents the Bears need go after.

1. Danny Trevathan, Broncos ILB – One of the Bears weakest positions last season was at inside linebacker. Currently Chicago have Christian Jones, Shea McClellin, John Timu and Jonathan Anderson, so acquiring the high-motored Bronco would be a huge improvement at the position. Trevathan is only 25 and was a major contributor on the Broncos number one defense. The young linebacker had over 100 tackles and has a nose for the ball carrier, a quality defensive coordinator Vic Fangio would love to have on his defense. Trevathan is also great at dropping back into coverage, something the Bears have been lacking from the ILB position ever since future hall of famer Brian Urlacher retired. The 25-year-old also has ties to Bears head coach John Fox, so it would be a smooth transition to Chicago.

(Credit to: milehighreport)

2. Janoris Jenkins, Los Angeles Rams CB – The starting corners for the Bears, Kyle Fuller and Tracy Porter, were inconsistent throughout the 2015 season. Bringing in Jenkins to be the number one corner would help with those inconsistencies. The former second round pick would bring that nastiness the Bears lack at the corner position. Jenkins is great at jamming receivers at the line of scrimmage and possesses great ability when breaking on the ball. This is why the 27-year-old has 10 career interceptions, returning five of them for touchdowns. Jenkins is capable of making that big play that can the switch momentum of a game. Bears linebacker, Pernell McPhee said “we need to grow us some dogs and play like some dogs.” Jenkins would qualify being one of those “dogs.”

(Credit to: rantsports)

3. Malik Jackson, Broncos DE – Here is another Bronco the Bears should go after in free agency. Jackson has a high motor, is relentless in his pass rush and delivers some big hits. The 25-year-old had five sacks as a starter for the number one ranked defense last season. The five sacks don’t seem like an impressive number but Jackson doesn’t have to get the sacks to make an impact on the game. The way he finishes off tackles and gets off blocks makes him a player opposing teams need to game-plan for. He also has a good relationship with Fox. With the Broncos having some many free agents it could be tough to keep all their core players and Jackson could be the one joining his former coach.

(Credit to: profootballrumors)

4. James Laurinaitis, Former Los Angeles Rams LB – A quality that the Bears have been lacking at the linebacker position is leadership, something Laurinaitis can bring to the table. Laurinaitis is great at making sure that his teammates know the play and puts his teammates in positions to make plays. The 29-year-old still has plenty of football left in him and having a fresh start with a new team, could just be what Laurinaitis needs. Since being drafted in the second round in 2009, the former Ohio State Buckeye has recorded over 100 tackles in each of his last seven seasons. Laurinaitis is a smart player and knows how to fill gaps, something Jones and McClellin struggled with all season. Plus, all past Bears middle linebackers had that iconic last name: Urlacher, Mike Singletary, Dick Butkus and possibly  Laurinaitis.

(Credit to: espn)

5. Tashaun Gipson, Browns FS – The Bears have one safety spot solidified going into next season, with Adrian Amos, but the other is up for grabs. Veteran safety Antrel Rolle didn’t make much of an impact last season and the Bears need someone who can be a difference maker in the secondary. In four seasons, the 25-year-old has 14 interceptions. He has great instincts and doesn’t hesitate to make plays on running backs in the backfield. This defense also needs a ball-hawk in the secondary. Adding a player like Gipson can help them get back to the identity Bears' fans know so well - taking away the football.

(Credit to: clevelandbrowns)

By signing any of these players, the Bears would bolster their defense and bring a new sense of hope that Chicago can start to return its dearly missed defensive prowess.

Three Takeaways the Bears Can Learn from Super Bowl 50

Content originated from DA BEARS BROTHERS.

IOWA CITY, Iowa – The 2015 NFL Season has official come to an end, with the Denver Broncos defeating the Carolina Panthers 24-10. Even though there are 211 days until the start of the 2016 NFL Season, the Bears should take what they learned from watching the two teams in Super Bowl 50 and begin to develop a winning formula for next season.

First Takeaway:   

Defense wins Championships.

The last three teams that won the Super Bowl, the Seahawks, Patriots and Broncos, all relied on their defense to make plays. Seattle’s defense completely destroyed the Broncos, the Patriots won on an interception at the end of the game and the Broncos’ number one defense (in yards) dominated the Panthers’ number one offense (in points). In Sunday’s Super Bowl, Cam Newton was pressured, hit and sacked through all four quarters. This constant pressure threw the 2015 NFL MVP off his game and was a big reason the Broncos won.

The formula for an an elite defense starts with the front seven. Whether it was Von Miller, Demarcus Ware or Danny Trevathan, the Denver defense was after Newton. The Broncos’ front seven didn’t allow for routes to develop down field because there just wasn’t time for Newton to throw the ball. The Broncos’ defenders also did a great job of containing Newton and not allowing him to use his athleticism to make plays with his legs.

The Broncos’ secondary was also a huge deciding factor in the game. The corners and safeties were physical with the Panthers’ receivers and made it tough for the receiving unit to get open. Newton went 18 of 41 with 265 yards and had a QBR of 16.9.

How it relates to the Bears:

The Bears, believe it or not, have some players who can get to the quarterback. It all starts with Pernell McPhee, who showed he can be a pain to opposing offenses. McPhee had six sacks and one forced fumble last season. The other players who can cause havoc for opposing quarterbacks are Willie Young and Lamar Houston. Both put up some decent numbers last season, Young had six-and-a half sacks and Houston had eight. The unit will continue to get better and hopefully in the offseason add a few more playmakers. One player to keep your eye on is unrestricted free agent Broncos’ linebacker Danny Trevathan.

The Bears will have to improve their secondary, despite being ranked fourth in the league in net passing yards last season. Third-year man Kyle Fuller has been inconsistent so far in his young career and there is a question mark at the second safety positon. Look for the Bears to make an upgrade in the secondary to help fit that winning formula for an elite defense. 

Second Takeaway:

A healthy locker room is key to success.

Both the Broncos and Panthers had great team chemistry throughout the entire season. For the Broncos, when Manning was benched for Brock Osweiler, the 14-time Pro Bowler didn’t complain, but instead helped Osweiler to succeed. Then when it was Manning’s time to return, Osweiler let Manning take control of the starting position without any controversy. The Broncos had a team-first mentality for the entire season.

The Panthers had the most fun out of any team this season. Whether the team was dabbing, giving footballs to kids, or joking on the sidelines, the Panthers were all in it as a team. The Panthers had a stress-free environment and with all the fun they were having, cruised their way to the Super Bowl. Yes, the outcome wasn’t what they wanted, but still the Panthers had a great season.

How it relates to the Bears:

Head coach John Fox is leading the Bears in the right direction. The Bears’ first-year head coach had control of the locker room, unlike former Bears’ head coach Marc Trestman. These Bears all had each other’s backs and stayed connected through the teams’ losing season. Team chemistry may not seem like a big deal, but for a football team that will have ups and downs throughout the season, it is incredibly important. The Bears had a lot of heart-breaking losses and could have easily blown up on each other, but Fox has instilled toughness and perseverance into this group. The Bears will look to build on that team chemistry going into next season. 

Third Takeaway:

You don’t need an elite quarterback to win, but one that can manage the game.

That is exactly what two-time Super Bowl Champion Peyton Manning did. He didn’t have great numbers, 13 of 23 for 141 yards, but he controlled the game. He made the throws that he was supposed to make and didn’t force anything.  Manning only had one turnover, as opposed to Newton, who had three. Both quarterback had below average games, but the team with the better defense came out on top.

How it relates to the Bears:

The Bears don’t have an elite quarterback, but Jay Cutler can manage a game. Cutler managed to will his team to six wins last season, despite the team having to battle through injuries at every offensive position. Give Cutler some healthy receivers, a stable line and another year in the same offense, and Cutler will have a better statistically season than last year. The 10-year veteran also has reduced his number of interceptions, with only 11, which is seven less than last season. The Bears have the right man under center to get the job done, but it will only work if the defense continues to get better.

(Credit to: 247Sports)