Most improved position groups during the 2023 NFL offseason

Linebackers – Chicago Bears

Additions: Tremaine Edmunds, T.J. Edwards & Noah Sewell

Subtractions: Nicholas Morrow, Joe Thomas & Matthew Adams

Bears linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards

Moving on to the second level of the defense, we once again had two strong contenders for being outlined here. The Giants go from a complete liability in terms of what that unit represented for opposing teams to attack to fielding two linebackers who just received top-40 PFF grades among guys with 100+ snaps last season in Bobby Okereke and Jarrad Davis. This, while still having several promising now second-year players behind them, who can make their mark on special teams.

However, I would be remised to not go more into depth about how the Bears invested immense financial resources into their LB room. Once again, there’s not a whole lot to discuss about the news that departed. Obviously, they traded away Roquan Smith to the Ravens close to the deadline for a second- and fifth-round pick this year, which won’t be taken into account for this exercise.

However, by far their best remaining player at the position in UDFA Jack Sanborn is still on the roster and I’ll once again quickly mention where the three departed names finished in terms of linebackers that played 100+ snaps last season according to Pro Football Focus – Nicholas Morrow at 86th (54.0), Joe Thomas 58th (63.0) and Matthew Adams at number 34 (69.0), but that was clearly the best among his four years in the pros.

So getting PFF’s number-two ranked T.J. Edwards (84.8) was a huge move, considering he’s still an undervalued asset in the landscape of off-ball linebackers, earning 19.5 million dollars across the next three seasons, with just under eight million of that guaranteed.

This is a player I still regret to this day for “only” making an honorable mention among the undrafted free agents from the 2019 draft. Yet, I redeemed myself by detailing him as a breakout candidate following his rookie campaign and he received PFF grades of 76.3 or better in three of his four years with the Eagles. Their linebacker player – between Edwards and Kyzir White – was the most underappreciated piece in winning the NFC this past season, in large part because of the lack of value GM Howie Roseman has put in addressing that position group.

However, this guy played 94% of defensive snaps and studying his tape, the ability to ID keys in the run game, be a step early for blockers and take care of his fits was key to Philly basically never putting a third linebacker on the field. Maybe equally as important has been Edwards’ improvements in coverage, where he’s really worked on squeezing down windows in zone and sticking to guys once he needed to match them. That is illustrated by his PFF coverage increasing every single year.

Considering the signs Sanborn showed as a rookie, trading away Roquan Smith and the value signing of Edwards, I was definitely a bit surprised when they threw 72 million dollars (just over half of it guaranteed) at Tremaine Edmunds for the next four years, with most of the money coming upfront. Originally drafted in 2018 by the Bills, he’s coming off the fifth-year option, starting all 74 games he’s been available for, collecting 100+ tackles every year and making the Pro Bowl twice.

With Buffalo restructuring and then extending Matt Milano’s contract these past two offseasons, they didn’t have the cash necessary to get into a bidding war for Edmunds, but it’s obvious what any coach would be mesmerized by. At 6’5”, 250 pounds with 34 and ½-inch arms, the explosiveness of this still only 25-year-old and the range at 4.54 speed make him a true specimen at the position.

Looking at PFF’s database, that freakish athleticism didn’t lend itself to high-quality play through his first four seasons, with overall grades ranging between 47.9 and 60.6. He turned things around this past season though, with career-bests in overall grade (79.0) and in particular his coverage number (88.1).

Based on film, while Milano has cleaned up for some of his misreads against the run in the past, his movement skills and length have been major assets in passing situations for the last couple of years, as Buffalo heavily depended on their ability to minimize windows in their zone-heavy scheme. Looking at the raw coverage numbers, the 4.9 yards per target and passer rating responsible for at 69.9 were the top marks of his career, while they only charged him with one missed tackle on 103 attempts.

How exactly Matt Eberflus and company envision the role of second-year player Jack Sanborn is a bit unclear to me, since one of their second-rounders from last year in Kyler Gordon will most likely move into the slot primarily. But I’m guessing if one of their three starting corners in nickel personnel goes down, they’re comfortable with using more base and let those three LBs flood the underneath areas with a heavy focus on press-bail cover-three.

What’s clear is that the former Colts DC and now Bears HC wanted his version of Shaq Leonard in the middle in Edmunds, whose range and length can shrink the field for offenses, while Edwards’ sound reads between the tackles complement that skill set effectively.

Chicago also drafted Noah Sewell out of Oregon in the fifth round, who comes in with some similar weaknesses as Edmunds did as a young player, although he’s not nearly as light on his feet and I believe his best usage might actually end up being as a rotational edge rusher.

Honorable mention: New York Giants