3 Bears Who Aren’t in the Offseason Spotlight But Could Play Key Roles in 2024 Season originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
We spent a lot of time talking about a lot of things Bears players this offseason. Keenan Allen It is Roma Odunze generated buzz as GM Ryan Polos completely overhauled the team’s wide receiver unit. Jaylon Johnson made headlines when he signed an extension stay in Chicago for the immediate future, and Sweat Montez remains at the forefront of any conversation about defense. We even dedicate time to the novice bettor Tory Taylor and how can he be a weapon on special teams. Of course there was Caleb Williams stories. Many, many Caleb Williams stories.
The team’s success, however, will not depend on a few players. The hottest guys tend to make the flashiest plays, but like the nose tackle Andrew Billings As proven last year, sometimes it’s the guys doing the dirty work who make the biggest impact when it counts.
In that vein, here is a list of Bears players who could have an outsized effect on the team compared to the attention they receive outside of Halas Hall.
TJ EDWARDS – LINEBACKER
There’s no doubt that Sweat should be considered the Bears’ 2023 defensive MVP after he arrived and single-handedly increased the team’s pass rush. But the unit probably wouldn’t make the full leap it did throughout the year if it weren’t for the play of Edwards, who improved week after week. Edwards plays the important weakside linebacker position in coach Matt Eberflus’ scheme, which requires him to fly to the ball to rack up tackles and create takeaways.
He did exactly that.
Edwards led the team with an impressive 155 tackles, which was seventh-most in the NFL. He also intercepted three passes, recovered two fumbles and forced another. It won’t show up on the stat sheet, but Tremaine Edmunds wouldn’t have made this pick either if it weren’t for the huge hit Edwards made on Cedric Tillman.
If Edwards simply picks up where he left off last year, he will play a huge role in the team’s success in 2024. If he takes another step forward as he becomes more comfortable in Eberflus’ defense, he could begin to gain national attention as one of the best linebackers in the league.
ROSCHON JOHNSON – RUNNING BACK
D’Andre Swift should be the focal point of the Bears’ rushing attack this season as a multi-talented rusher who can help in the passing game. The days of the bell return are all but over in the NFL, however. Unless a team has a guy like Derrick Henry, Christian McCaffrey or Saquon Barkley leading the way, most coaches opt for a running back by committee approach. The Bears may not split carries evenly between Swift and their RB2, but their RB2 will likely receive significant snaps, and that’s where Johnson comes into play.
Johnson showed flashes of the physical strength that attracted the Bears to him in last year’s draft, but he never reached 40 yards in a game and averaged just over five carries per game. The team will likely want to see more of him in 2024 as Khalil Herbert’s contract expires at the end of this season.
If Johnson looks as good as thunder to Swift’s lightning this year, the Poles could feel good about moving on with that duo, letting Herbert walk free and potentially reloading the room with another rookie. If not, he might consider keeping Herbert or making a more significant change. Either way, it looks like Johnson is in line for more action this year.
Most of the off-season conversation surrounding the defensive line has been devoted to debating whether or not Gervon Dexter is ready to become the team’s next three-head coach. Deservedly so, as the team will need him to generate pressure from the middle of the pocket for the defense to meet its high expectations. In a perfect world, though, the Bears want to deploy two waves of offensive linemen in a relentless offense. This would allow the team to present different looks at opposing offensive lines and keep pass rushers as fresh as possible during the fourth quarter.
To do that, the Bears will need Pickens’ development as much as Dexter. Pickens played just 25% of the team’s defensive snaps last season, working heavily as Billings’ backup at nose tackle. This year he will also have the opportunity to show some of his versatility with representatives from three technologies. Defensive tackle remains one of the most tenuous, if not the most tenuous, position groups on the team. The Poles only added Byron Cowart and a handful of UDFAs to the corps during the offseason. It’s difficult for UDFAs to make a big impact in their rookie seasons and Cowart didn’t play a game last season as he bounced between the Chiefs, Texans and Dolphins practice squads throughout the year, so Pickens appears to have the best chance of lead as DT on the Bears’ second unit.
