Chicago Bears: What Jerrell Freeman release means for future at linebacker

Once a Pro Bowl player and always a great leader, the Chicago Bears have decided to part ways with veteran linebacker Jerrell Freeman.

The return of Vic Fangio means several things for the Chicago Bears. First, they retain their continuity as a group under what has been a great turnaround over a couple of years. Second, Fangio will have a say in filling some holes on the defense.

One of those holes that was somewhat expected to open up is that left by Jerrell Freeman, now that the Bears have officially released him.

The veteran linebacker is a former Pro Bowl player and was one of the highest graded linebackers in 2016. Last year, though, Freeman missed nearly the entire season due to injury.

The seventh-year pro will save the Bears approximately $3.5 million in cap space as they head into the free agency period come March.

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What will the Bears do at inside linebacker at this point? Well, for starters, hopefully Danny Trevathan can remain healthy. He has struggled with injuries over the last couple of seasons, but when he has been on the field, he’s been a difference maker.

The Bears could definitely go hunting for another starter aside Trevathan in April. The draft features guys like Roquan Smith out of Georgia, Rashaan Evans from Alabama, Darius Leonard out of South Carolina State among others.

While the draft has been kind to Ryan Pace and the Bears in recent years, they have also been grooming Nick Kwiatkoski for the last two years. The third-year pro out of West Virginia has taken advantage of his opportunities when given them.

In two years, Kwiatkoski has combined for 93 tackles, three sacks and three forced fumbles in 25 games of action. He has become a much more sure tackler than he was as a rookie and has been a key player at times on special teams.

The Bears may very well roll with Kwiatkoski for 2018, especially because of the word I mentioned earlier: continuity. He knows the scheme and has continued to grow into a very solid inside linebacker.

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For Freeman, us Chicago Bears fans wish him well. He will most definitely land on his feet sooner than later as teams remember what he was capable of just two short years ago.