Chicago Bears: Three areas the defense will improve in 2020
By Usayd Koshul
1) Sacks
When the Bears added Robert Quinn in free agency by paying him $70 million dollars over a five-year period, to some it was viewed as a head-scratching move. However, for general manager Ryan Pace, it was all about upgrading at pass rusher and finding a Khalil Mack a legitimate sidekick.
Quinn, who’s entering his tenth NFL season, started 14 games in 2019 and had 11.5 sacks. It’s clear that when the Bears signed Quinn and moved on from former first-round pick Leonard Floyd, the team was prioritizing pass rushing as one of the areas that needed to be upgraded this offseason.
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While Quinn is the signature addition to the front seven, watch out for Akiem Hicks as well. When he last played a full season in 2019, he had 7.5 sacks. Hicks’ ability to take on double teams will free up additional opportunities for both Mack and Quinn, who have a chance to be the NFL’s best outside linebacker duo in 2020.