Chicago Bears: Potential free agent adds from divisional round
By Ryan Heckman
2. Matt Judon, Outside Linebacker, Baltimore Ravens
Another interesting decision Pace will have this offseason is what to do with underachieving outside linebacker Leonard Floyd. At times, Floyd looks incredible — mostly due to his athleticism. But, the majority of the time, he is underwhelming at best.
Since entering the NFL, Floyd has totaled 18.5 sacks in four seasons. In 2019, he had a measly three sacks. The year prior? Just four. His best season as a pro came in his rookie year where he had 7.0 sacks, a fumble recovery, a touchdown and a safety.
On the flip side, Matt Judon has been consistent over the last three seasons. He’s averaged 8.0 sacks per season over the last three years, with a career-best 9.5 coming this season. This was also the first season he started all 16 games, where the last couple of years he came in as a backup at times.
Read. Bears: Jake Fromm declaring is good for Chicago. light
Judon earned his first Pro Bowl nod this season and could be in line for a chunk of a pay day this spring. If the Bears cut Floyd, they save $13.2 million — which I would much rather see spent on a guy like Judon, who is more active in all aspects of the game.
A startling statistic: Judon had four forced fumbles this year. In four seasons with the Bears, Floyd has just one.