Chicago Bears: Could the Mario Edwards Jr. signing impact Akiem Hicks?

The Chicago Bears front office and in particular Ryan Pace continues to show off their ability to unearth defensive talent, this time with the re-signing of defensive end Mario Edwards, Jr. to a modest three-year extension earlier in the week. Edwards, Jr. had quite a productive season in only 238 total snaps under the watchful eye of former Bears’ defensive line coach Jay Rodgers.

It is surprising that Edwards, Jr. wasn’t more sought after as talent has never been an issue. He joined then defensive linemate and 10th overall recruit in the nation Eddie Goldman as the number two overall recruit in the country at Florida State. This was part of a massive recruiting haul that helped boost the Seminoles into national title contenders in the early 2010’s. Edwards, Jr. ended up as a second-round pick just like Goldman in 2015 but couldn’t seem to find his stride with both the Cowboys and most recently the New Orleans Saints.

Will the Chicago Bears signing of Mario Edwards impact Akiem Hicks?

Finding 3-4 ends that are big enough to clog up the B-gap while being nimble enough to slide with zone runs and get a good pass rush are tough to find. This is where the Bears and their defensive staff struck gold. Edwards, Jr. moved from an edge player to primarily a 3 technique interior player on nearly 90% of his snaps. He ranked near the top as one of the top-inside disruptors in the NFL percentage-wise. Almost like Akiem Hicks, it appears as though he may be entering his prime a little later than most.

With his sheer size strength and movement skills, Akiem Hicks himself is quite the anomaly on the field and took his time finding his NFL footing. He started fully for the Saints in 2013-2014 and played all 48 games in his arguable prime for the Bears in 2016-2018. After ending his season with an elbow injury in 2019, Hicks still played well but age is a confounding prospect in football.

Hicks is getting older but as a player with that skill, his 32 is maybe not the same as others. Much discussion has been done in regards to extending his contract. Right now with one year left on the four-year deal he signed, the debate is whether to extend him past his age-32 season. He would arguably only have a strong year left in the tank and maybe two at the most.

Edwards, Jr. is a strong insurance option in case Hicks leaves. Their ability to find players like Brent Urban and Edwards allows the Bears to invest their resources elsewhere. The Bears defense has good pieces still in place to be a playoff defense. It’s the small investments that end up becoming bigger contributors that will determine positive outcomes in 2021.