The Bears made a financial call on Tremaine Edmunds early in the offseason, and so far it’s fair to wonder whether they moved on a little too quickly.
Chicago released the linebacker after three seasons, a decision driven in part by the $15 million in cap space it opened up. That money helped the Bears go after other additions, including safety Coby Bryant and linebacker Devin Bush.
But there’s at least some reason to revisit the move. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler checked in with league executives, coaches, and scouts on the NFL’s top linebackers, and Edmunds got votes even though he landed outside the top 10.
Edmunds wasn’t flashy in Chicago, but he was steady production. He topped 100 tackles in each of his three seasons with the Bears, and last year he finished with 112 tackles in 13 games despite missing four contests with a groin injury that sent him to IR. He also added nine pass deflections, four interceptions, three tackles for loss, three quarterback hits, one sack, and one fumble recovery.
The concern for Chicago was never whether Edmunds could pile up numbers. It was that the overall package came with some uneven stretches. He made plays in coverage and gave the Bears a dependable presence, but he wasn’t consistently creating negative plays against the run or locking down offensive weapons snap after snap.
There was also the matter of expectations. Edmunds never made a Pro Bowl in Chicago, even though he had done it twice with the Buffalo Bills before arriving.
Now the Bears are handing the job to Bush, who is expected to fill Edmunds’ spot for the next three years. He’ll be part of a linebacker group that also includes T.J. Edwards and D'Marco Jackson.
That’s where the comparison gets uncomfortable for Chicago. In pure talent, Edmunds still looks better than most of the linebackers on the roster.
The problem was cost. For a player who was good but not great, the Bears decided the price tag was too steep.
If Edmunds had been willing to take a pay cut, he might still be in Chicago. Instead, the Bears are betting Bush can settle into defensive coordinator Dennis Allen’s scheme quickly, while Jackson continues to develop. For all the cap math, the one thing Edmunds gave them was versatility - a linebacker who could handle just about everything.
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