Bears are finally positioned to get the most out of Dayo Odeyingbo

One of the big reasons why the Chicago Bears signed Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency was to take advantage of his ability to rush the passer from the inside. However, he was unable to show that much during his disappointing first season with the team.

Now that Odeyingbo is healthy, the team is moving him back inside in pass-rushing situations during training camp. It should unleash a much better version of a player we wanted to see last year.

Chicago Bears Expecting to Get the Most Out of Dayo Odeyingbo

Odeyingbo had always been asked to slide inside during his time with the Indianapolis Colts. During his rookie year, he was lined up inside a guard on 33% of his total snaps. That number went down 8% in his second NFL season. However, it was back up to 17% his second year before settling at 9% during his final year with the Colts.

Despite the Bears signing him with the intention of taking advantage of this role, he played just 5.7% of his snaps lined up against a guard. So it is clear why they were not getting the best of him; they were not using him correctly.

The big issue was that the team lacked edge rusher depth. Austin Booker was still a questionable player in his second NFL season, and they could not trust him on pass-rushing downs yet. When Odeyingbo went down, it opened the door for Booker to show the team what he can do.

Now, they enter the year with trust in Booker. He not only will push Odeyingbo inside on passing downs, but he is also going to push the veteran for starter snaps as well. This could be good for Odeyingbo.

He will not get a full workload coming back from his Achilles injury. However, the work he does see will be in advantageous situations. They will call on him when needed against the run because his body in much bigger than Booker.

Because he is not an every-down player, he can be more impactful in those moments. Then, when they need him to turn on the pass rush, they can slide him inside. He will be getting close to starter snaps due to the versatility, but it will be just enough of a depth role that it keeps him fresh.

The Bears could get a better Dayo Odeyingbo, and it does not even have to do with motivation.

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