Hunt Still On for Bears Edge

Any chance the Bears would have brought back Leonard Floyd for a second go-around vanished when he agreed to a one-year deal Monday with Buffalo.

The 2016 first-round Bears draft pick was one of a handful of unsigned edge rushers available and his signing was announced by NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, though no terms were released.

The signing for the Bears never would have made much sense, anyway, and it had nothing to do with the fact Floyd failed to live up to the hype in Chicago his first time around. Or perhaps it was the system-coaches-organization failing him.

Floyd has been an outside stand-up linebacker in a 3-4 scheme his entire career. In fact, he's always been in the Vic Fangio system that the Bears formerly used. When Floyd left the Bears he won a ring with the Rams in the same system under defensive coordinator Brandon Staley, the former Bears assistant and Fangio protege who is now the Chargers head coach. Then Floyd stayed on with the Rams and they retained that system through last year under Raheem Morris.

Floyd made 10 1/2 sacks in 2020 for the Rams, 9 1/2 in 2021 and 9.0 in 2022 after he had just 18 1/2 over his first four years with the Bears. Prior to the final year of his Bears contract, he made a career-low three sacks and they chose to cut him rather than pay his fifth-year option that they previously picked up for $13 million.

The Bears look for different types of outside rusher—heavier, able to set a strong edge and play with a hand in the dirt instead of as an outside linebacker. They're usually in the range of 255 to 280 pounds. Floyd is 6-5, 240.

Coach Matt Eberflus dealt with their need for edge help earlier in OTAs.

"We're interested in a lot of free agents, we're interested in a lot of guys at all positions right now," Eberflus said. "We're just excited about being able to look at those guys and potentially add as we go through camp and getting closer to the season."

Now the list of those available is topped off by Jadeveon Clowney, Yannick Ngakoue, Frank Clark, Justin Houston, Dawuane Smoot, Melvin Ingram III, Kyle Van Noy and former Bear Robert Quinn.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven