Chicago Bears pending free agents: Who should return?

Shea McClellin, Inside Linebacker

I feel bad for McClellin, I really do. The Chicago Bears have bent over backwards to try to find a spot for him, yet he has not shined.

McClellin started his career as an athletic defensive end. The thought was he could blow past offensive linemen. The problem was that he was too small to play the position, and when a lineman got to him, McClellin would usually get gobbled up and be a non-factor.

Last season, McClellin was move to strong side linebacker. He would not need to deal with big, hefty offensive linemen anymore. The problem there was when he had to go into coverage, he  struggled.

This season, McClellin was moved once again, this time to inside linebacker. He was the signal caller for the defense. He was expected to man the middle and keep runners from getting big yards, and cover that area when the other inside linebacker, Christian Jones, blitzed.

While McClellin was one of the Chicago Bears’ leading tacklers, he did not make impactful tackles. He rarely made tackles head-on, usually making them from behind, after runners got past the second level.

The Shea McClellin experiment should be over. With all due respect to defensive coordinator Vic Fangio (who called McClellin a stud), McClellin is not a player you can depend on to be a part of a successful defense. He should be allowed to walk away.

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