Bears Solidify Depth at Important Position

The first of several small Bears moves will get done and this is solidifying their defensive line.

According to a Pro Football Talk report, the Bears are signing free agent defensive lineman Mario Edwards to a contract. The three-year deal was reported at $11.55 million, including a first-year cost over $4 million.

Edwards has to serve a two-game suspension to start this season due to a violation of the NFL's performance enhancing drug rules. He also has a situation involving a possible domestic violence charge stemming from a situation at his hotel room during the team's road trip to Charlotte, N.C. to clear up.

Those things apparently haven't soured the Bears on a player who had an immediate impact in a unique role for the team in 2020.

The Bears signed Edwards after training camp ended and he had been cut by the New Orleans Saints. He's too large for outside linebacker in their scheme at 6-foot-3, 280 pounds and too small to be a defensive end in their base 3-4 but they found a good use for him.

Edwards became a defensive tackle in pass rush situations and actually proved he could handle playing the defensive end spot on running downs, as well. He came in with a career-high four sacks and also had seven quarterback hits. It increased his career sack total to 14 1/2.

Pro Football Focus gave Edwards the third-best grade overall in the NFL among interior defensive linemen last year and had him at 90.1. Only Aaron Donald an d Chris Jones had higher grades among the league's interior defensive linemen last year.

Edwards was second among Bears interior defensive linemen in sacks, trailing only Bilal Nichols (5).

The Bears needed the signing because they're likely to lose Roy Robertson-Harris in free agency and could also lose reserve Brent Urban. Edwards gives them a fourth, although he doesn't have the versatility they've usually had from their defensive linemen because he can't move inside to nose tackle.

But Nichols can do that in the event of an injury to Eddie Goldman, who is expected to return from an opt-out.

Interior defensive line is also a position the Bears could look at in the draft in a later round.

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