Robert Quinn candidate to get cut, Chicago Bears a great fit

The Rams may cut the veteran edge rusher and the Chicago Bears would be a fantastic fit.

The Chicago Bears are ready to rock and roll March 14th when the new league year begins. Having around $52 million in cap space, with more likely to soon open up, Ryan Pace appears to be ready to finally do the job his way. Ted Phillips looks like he will take a step back and give Pace the keys — finally.

When free agency opens up, one of the primary targets for the Bears will be adding to their linebacker corps. Already informing Jerrell Freeman he will be released, Chicago is attempting to shore up some gaps either left by older players or often-injured guys.

The league year hasn’t even started yet, but the Bears have been one of a few teams in the news regarding potential moves. One of the others, the Los Angeles Rams, are also making headlines after trading for Marcus Peters this week.

One of the latest stories involving the Rams — and there have been a lot — suggest that Robert Quinn may be on his way out.

Must Read: Will Bears pull trigger on Jarvis Landry?

Alden Gonzalez, a Rams beat reporter for ESPN, recently highlighted Quinn as a likely candidate to get cut. Letting go of Quinn, the Rams save roughly $13 million in cap space.

One of the knocks on Quinn over the last three seasons is his combined 17.5 sacks. There are a lot of folks who claim he has fallen off so to speak. I beg to differ.

In 2015 and 2016, he finished with five and four sacks, respectively. He also played in just 17 games total over those two years. In 2017, Quinn ended the year back up at 8.5 sacks after playing in 15 contests. So, what happened last year?

Here is the difference: Quinn transitioned from a traditional defensive end to linebacker last year. Why the switch? Wade Phillips came to Los Angeles and introduced his infamous 3-4 scheme, moving Quinn into a different type of role where he wasn’t playing as much on the line.

Let’s not forget that Quinn is not too far removed from one of the best seasons Pro Football Focus has ever seen.

https://twitter.com/PFF/status/862499005342916608

“Five years is not that long ago? You are off your rocker!”

Just keep reading and wait for the tape.

Dominant defensive ends are hard to find these days. They typically do not last several seasons because of the wear and tear on their bodies with the game changing so much. Players are bigger, faster and stronger than ever before — quicker, too.

Thus, Quinn’s transition to a new role led to a higher sack number. He appeared more comfortable in his new spot, and it would absolutely transition to Vic Fangio’s scheme as well.

Chicago is in search of a consistent player opposite Leonard Floyd who can get after the quarterback. Quinn is most certainly the ideal candidate. At just 27 years old, Quinn is by no means getting too old.

Additionally, by no means is he “falling off.”

Quick on the outside and quick on the inside — people really believe themselves when they talk about Quinn taking several steps back? The only steps I see are the ones heading toward a quarterback at 100 miles an hour.

If the Rams want to cut Quinn, fantastic. Ryan Pace will no doubt be one of the first calls his agent receives.

Next: 5 Free Agents for Bears to Pursue