Second-Best Linebacker Group in the NFL

Pro Football Focus sees the effort the Bears made to rebuild their linebacker group as extremely successful.

In and of itself, it says little because the opinion comes from outside the NFL.

Then again, it's also difficult to find anyone who does more intensive rating of players game film than Pro Football Focus and so the ranking the Bears received from that website for their linebacker group this year can't be simply brushed aside.

What it actually speaks to is GM Ryan Poles' ability to listen to what coach Matt Eberflus and staff say they need, blend it with what he's seeing, and then address the problem head-on. And the ability to pull this off in one off-season can mean a great deal for the future of the franchise.

Bears linebackers are ranked the second-best group in the NFL according to PFF. 

A year ago, the Bears linebacker group was incredibly bad after trading Roquan Smith. With undrafted free agent starters Jack Sanborn and Nick Morrow in the main two spots, and veteran journeyman Joe Thomas at strongside for most of the snaps, it was an entirely non-descript grouping. Sanborn was a rookie, at that.

Now PFF ranks the Bears ahead of the Ravens and the linebacker group Smith went to, by one place.

In Dalton Wasserman's assessment of all 32 NFL linebacker groups, the Bears are No. 2 behind San Francisco because of the acquisition of Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards. Not surprisingly, PFF had both of those two linebackers ranked in the top six last year, Edmunds No. 5 and Edwards sixth. Edmunds was No. 1 in the league in pass coverage and Edwards ninth.

Sanborn hasn't been a strongside linebacker but will get the chance when training camp begins after missing all of the offseason work due to what was labeled an ankle injury. Sanborn was ranked 41st in the league last year as a middle linebacker by PFF and was 25th against the pass.

Wasserman lauded the play of Edmunds defended the pass.

"T.J. Edwards comes with less fanfare but was the unsung hero of the Eagles' elite defense," Wasserman added. "He played nearly 1,200 snaps and graded above 78.0 against the run, in coverage and as a pass-rusher, which added up to the sixth-best overall grade (81.6) at the position."

Although Sanborn hasn't played strongside yet, Wasserman called him a "...rugged, SAM-type linebacker in Matt Eberflus; 4-3 defense. He showed flashes of talent last year, posting 80.0-plus grades in his last two games."

In summary, Wasserman says: "This group hasn’t played together yet, but the Bears are banking on talent and couldn’t have much more at their disposal."

None of this takes into account depth, and with rookie Noah Sewell among the most pleasant surprises defensively at OTAs and minicamp, and Dylan Cole capable of playing any of the three positions, they obviously have this quality, as well.

None of the other linebacker groups in the NFC North were ranked in the top half of the NFL.

The Green Bay Packers were next highest behind the Bears at 17th. Detroit was 20th and Minnesota 27th.

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