Chicago Bears: Ranking team needs as 2020 offseason begins
By Usayd Koshul
6. Inside Linebacker
Inside linebacker is one position where there could be some changes over the next few months. In fact, the Bears may just get younger at the position. Currently, both Danny Trevathan and Nick Kwiatkoski are set to be free agents. While the Bears do have a healthy salary cap situation, they could be forced into a situation where they need to choose between Trevathan or Kwiatkoski.
Essentially, this means that the Bears could opt to go with Kwiatkoski, who proved that he could play at a high level in Trevathan’s absence during the second half of the 2019 season. While Trevathan can still play at a high level, he’ll be 30 years old heading into the 2020 season and he’s really only played one full season since signing with the Bears back in 2016.
Kwiatkoski, on the other hand, has steadily improved and made a major jump in 2019. While his lack of speed is an issue, he’s proved to have a high motor, be physical, and also be effective when it comes to blitzing.
If the Bears don’t believe that Kwiatkoski can start in 2020 and are unable to retain Trevathan because he gets a better deal somewhere else, they should look to the 2020 NFL Draft to address the linebacker position because someone such as Oklahoma’s Kenneth Murray should be available when the Bears pick at either 43rd or 50th overall.