Chicago Bears: Roster issues no one is talking about
By Usayd Koshul
5. Who’s starting next to Roquan Smith and Eddie Jackson in 2020?
It’s no secret that middle linebackers Danny Trevathan, Nick Kwiatkoski and Safety Ha Ha Clinton-Dix are free agents. The Bears have major decisions to make with all three. Trevathan has been in Chicago since 2016 and has played just one full season. Kwiatkoski emerged in 2019 when given a chance to play while Clinton-Dix was a solid stopgap at the position.
It’s very likely that the Bears could be in a situation where there are three new starters on defense. Cornerback was discussed earlier while middle linebacker and safety could see new starters in 2020.
Here’s the deal: If either of these guys are back with the Bears in 2020, the most underrated aspect of it all will be continuity that exists on the defense. This is a major key since there will not be an adjustment period for any of the players involved in the defenses’ second season with Chuck Pagano running the show.
If Trevathan, Kwiatkoski, Clinton-Dix are not back in 2020 the Bears will likely hit the free agent market to replace middle linebacker. There are only about three linebackers in the 2020 NFL Draft that could be game-changers for the Bears and all three should be gone by the time the Bears are on the clock at 43rd overall.
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Meanwhile, safety can be addressed by retaining Deon Bush however he isn’t a top tier talent at the position. This means that the best route that the Bears could take is by drafting someone like Jordan Fuller (Ohio State) or Kyle Dugger (Lenior-Rhyne) to fill the void in the long-term.