The Chicago Bears have been one of the NFL's more active teams to begin free agency. Bears general manager Ryan Poles handed out over $167.1 million in contracts to new players and familiar faces in free agency's first two weeks, according to Spotrac, has he locked down players like defenders Dayo Odeyingbo and Grady Jarrett, as well as center Drew Dalman.
Even though the Bears have added several reinforcements to head coach Ben Johnson's roster, they also lost some veterans, too, including linebacker Jack Sanborn. As disappointing as it was to see Sanborn join the Dallas Cowboys, the good news is the perfect option to replace him is currently sitting in free agency.
Bears Urged to Sign LB E.J. Speed as Free Agency Continues
On Sunday, Bleacher Report's Kristopher Knox urged the Bears to pursue free agent linebacker E.J. Speed. Knox named Chicago as one of the "best fits" for Speed, who has a connection to one of the franchise's newest coaching staff members.
"New Bears linebackers coach Richard Smith held the same position in Indianapolis during both of Speed's campaigns as a full-time starter," Knox wrote.
Looking to overhaul the coaching staff this offseason, the Bears hired Smith back in February. The 69-year-old coach has spent nearly 40 years working with linebackers around the NFL, including when he spent the last three seasons working with Speed on the Indianapolis Colts.
Speed, 29, is a former 2019 Colts third-round pick who spent his first few seasons playing in backup and special teams roles. The former Tarleton State product's outlook immediately improved with each passing year following Smith's arrival, culminating in a 2024 performance that saw Speed set new career highs in solo tackles (93) and broken-up passes (5) while also tallying his first-ever interception.
Caught in the Speed trap.
— Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) November 10, 2024
📺 CBS pic.twitter.com/GFhcHWurkc
Knox also points out how the Bears' struggles against the run highlight a need for Speed. As Chicago finished with the 13th-worst run defense grade (64.8) on Pro Football Focus, Speed ended with a 72.2 run stoppage grade, marking the third straight year he finished with a performance on that level or better.
Spotrac is currently listing Speed's market value at $5.4 million annually, which is affordable for a Bears team with over $23.5 million in cap space to spare. Even though a potential signing could take up over a quarter of the available funds, it'll be well worth it if the 6-foot-4 LB continues to thrive under Smith's watch.
It'd be interesting to see what kind of effects a potential Speed signing would have on Chicago's postseason outlook. For now, the Bears will enter the third week of NFL free agency with the 15th-best Super Bowl 60 odds (+3700) on FanDuel Sportsbook.
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