Chicago Bears: Leonard Floyd looking to improve on good rookie campaign
Chicago Bears linebacker Leonard Floyd had a good rookie campaign. Even so, he worked hard in the offseason to build on his success, which is crucial for the defense to continue to improve.
Quarterback Mitchell Trubisky wasn’t the first player Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Pace traded up for in the first round to get. In 2016, he moved up to draft outside linebacker Leonard Floyd.
As important as Trubisky is for the offense, Floyd is to the defense. The Bears see Floyd as a cornerstone to their defense. They see him as a star who will harass quarterbacks for years to come.
In order for that to happen, Floyd needs to build on the success he had in his rookie campaign. He had a slow start, registering just half a sack in his first four games. After that, however, he had 6.5 sacks in his next eight games.
Defensive coordinator Vic Fangio liked what he saw in Floyd in 2016, but needs to see more this season.
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"Hopefully, with the year under his belt [and] getting in better shape and better condition, he’ll take off. If he stays healthy, I feel good about him."
Even with that praise, Fangio gave Floyd an incomplete grade for the season. He did so because he missed four games due to a calf injury and two concussions. He also missed some time in training camp due to an illness.
Floyd put in the work to improve his conditioning. He weighed just 225 pounds when the Bears drafted him, and the NFL season wore him down. Outside linebackers coach Brandon Staley explained it.
"I’m not going to say that he left things out on the field, but I think the NFL season wore on him…His body now is just so much different than when he came in here. He was, like, 225 [pounds] when he came in here; he’s almost 250 [now]. He’s just a lot stronger player. He’s a lot more equipped to handle the rigors of the NFL."
Just as Georgia did in college, Fangio moved Floyd around and took advantage of his coverage skills. That limited the contact, but the added weight will help him even more this season.
Next: Trubisky impressive in his first practice
Floyd knows he still needs more work to do before he fulfills the expectations the Chicago Bears expect from him. He is putting in the time, however. Pace and the Bears need him to break through almost as much as Trubisky.