Bears Lean on All Assets

Money dictates where free agents go, although all things being equal there can be other factors enter into the equation.

In an age when it seems all is determined by the dollar, the Bears at least have found some value in the way they present their long history to potential free agents, particularly at linebacker. It definitely helps having a past that includes Dick Butkus, Mike Singletary, Brian Urlacher, Lance Briggs, Doug Buffone and Bill George if you're trying to bring in free agent linebackers.

"I'm trying to be great and I want to be coached by people that coach great players and coach good players and obviously want to be in a system and a program that's had legends," new Bears linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said. "You know what I mean?

"The Chicago Bears are known for their linebackers and I want to be able to write my story and be that next great linebacker here."

The Bears had new linebacker T.J. Edwards before hello. He already was a Bears fan growing up in the area before attending Lakes High School. He never stopped following the team, even as a Philadelphia Eagles player.

"I definitely always followed to see what was going on, just out of habit," he said.

Meeting Brian Urlacher during the Hall-of-Famer's rookie year and the Devin Hester TD return in the Super Bowl were among the fond memories Edwards had.

"Yeah, I know quite a bit about the history and all the great players that have been here before—so many great linebackers that have played of late and of recent as well," he said. "But for me, I just want to come in and be me. I want to come in and figure out where I fit in and just try to help as much as I can and learn as much as I can."

New Bears tight end Robert Tonyan has Urlacher's jersey and grew up in McHenry, Ill. as a Bears fan.

"Definitely, I was a Bears fan growing up, big Brian Urlacher fan," he said. "Like, huge. Got his jersey and signature in the basement."

He had it there even while playing for the Packers.

"Did I think I'd be a tight end for the Bears? No," he said. "But did I think I'd play for the Bears? Yeah, absolutely. In my brain I was playing for the Bears my whole life. I'm just super pumped to be here."

Tonyan, Edwards, Cole Kmet, Jack Sanborn and second-year center Doug Kramer all have that hometown team connection and awareness of the tradition.

"I think it's just the pride of the hometown, that grit from Chicago, just get it how you can get it and just play ball," Tonyan said. "I think there are a lot of chips on our shoulders just being the Bears over that long period of time, like it is, it's one of the most prized organizations in the NFL.

"And when you have a hometown team and you're a fan of them growing up, you take a little bit more pride in that and take it more to heart. I think just having as many of those guys on the team as possible, that's how you lean back on the foundation and how strong you believe in this team."

Edmunds had knowledge of the tradition not through living here but through his defensive coordinator in Buffalo, Les Frazier.

"I had the pleasure of being coached by a Bears legend himself, coach Frazier, and he would always give us some stories about it and just about the tradition and obviously they had that good team here, and the great things that they did," he said.

Edmunds, who has been given jersey No. 49 by the Bears, didn't grow up a Bears fan but is a linebackers fan.

"When you talk about great linebackers—in particularly, middle linebackers—I mean, why wouldn't you want to come to a place like this? It's such a great tradition.

"I'm just excited to write my own story now. Obviously they’ve had a lot of great guys to come through here. I'm a big believer that you gotta pay respect to those guys who came before, because that’s who we’ve striving to be like. Not exactly imitate their game, but take a little bit from everybody and put it into your own game. That's what I'm about, man. I'm excited to start my story now. I thank Buffalo for all my years there, but I'm excited to start my story in Chicago now and continue that great tradition of middle linebackers here."

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsonMaven

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