The Chicago Bears entered the offseason with major needs on defense. Dennis Allen's unit left plenty to be desired in all aspects except for takeaways, and they needed the offense to bail them out way too often in his first year as defensive coordinator.
General manager Ryan Poles did a solid job of rebuilding the defensive backfield, adding star rookie Dillon Thieneman and signing Coby Bryant. Nevertheless, the front seven remains a concern in the Windy City.
That's why it was so refreshing to know that help might finally be on the way. Per former Bears tight end Clay Holmes, T.J. Edwards and Dayo Odeyingbo were present at OTAs, though they didn't participate in drills:
“Encouraging sight: Saw T.J. Edwards and Dayo Odeyingbo on the field,” Harbor shared on X. “They didn’t participate in practice, but seeing them out there is a positive sign.”
The Bears need Edwards and Odeyingbo back to full strength
T.J. Edwards suffered a broken fibula in the Wild Card win over the Green Bay Packers. He was always expected to be back to full strength for training camp, but it's nice to see him in the building and active with the team.
As for Odeyingbo, he might still need a bit more time before getting back on the gridiron. He tore his Achilles tendon just eight games into his first season with Chicago. He's already been through this process, so the team will want to be extremely careful with him as he recovers from his second Achilles injury.
The Bears lost Tremaine Edmunds in free agency, but the Bears landed a true steal in Devin Bush. The former first-round pick is coming off a career year with the Cleveland Browns, and he should be a perfect complement next to Edwards once he's back on the field.
As for the pass-rushing unit, Odeyingbo will obviously provide a boost, but that might not be enough. The Bears need a reliable headhunter opposite Montez Sweat, and while expecting them to trade for Maxx Crosby might not be realistic, there are still some feasible options in free agency.
Ben Johnson's team has the potential to outscore everyone in the league, and the offense should take another leap in the second year of this regime. That said, that formula hasn't always translated to playoff success, and with other contenders revamping their pass-rushing unit, the Bears might come to regret not making a big move of their own.
At least, they'll get two crucial contributors back sooner rather than later. Whether that'll be enough to take another step forward after falling just two games short of the Super Bowl remains to be seen.
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