Why Roy Robertson-Harris May Price Himself Right Out of Chicago

Considering what happened to Nick Williams last season and what Spotrac.com says, it could be the last year the Bears have Roy Robertson-Harris in uniform.

Williams rose up out of the ranks from being inactive on game day 14 times in 2018 to earn a two-year, $10 million deal with the Detroit.

This season Robertson-Harris is playing on a $3.26 million restricted free agent tender, but next year Spotrac.com sees his market value at $7.8 million as an unrestricted free agent. Numerous factors could impact that, of course, including what happens with the salary cap due to the impact on league revenues this year of COVID-19.

Robertson-Harris himself can impact this.

The former UTEP linebacker, who was converted to the defensive line, has been productive but can ensure himself a bigger pay day with a strong year and defensive line coach Jay Rodgers knows what he has to do to achieve it.

"It's put it together for a full season," Rodgers said.

Rodgers said two games in particular showed Robertson-Harris' potential and that's the season opener and the Sept. 29 win 16-6 over Minnesota at Soldier Field. He said he pointed those two games out to Robertson-Harris in a conversation as goals he should strive for in terms of production.

Against the Packers in the opener Robertson-Harris made a sack, three tackles, two for losses and two quarterback hits. Against Minnesota he had 1 1/2 sacks, three tackles including one for loss and two quarterback hits.

"It's not a physical thing," Rodgers said. "It's just being able to understand that you are having production because of the work that you put in from a physical standpoint and a mental standpoint.

"It's just putting it back to back to back to back for a full 16-game season. Those are sometimes hard things to do overnight."

Rodgers thinks it's possible, "...because he's shown the ability to perform at a high level."

Robertson-Harris has his size working against him up front in a two-gap system because he's just 292 pounds. Most Bears defensive linemen in the front are over 300, some well over it. Robertson-Harris had to add weight to get to that 292 because he had been linebacker.

When Robertson-Harris is at his best, it's usually by winning a one-on-one battle and even getting into a gap to make a play like a defensive lineman in a one-gap system more so than in the Bears' regular two-gap style up front. He might be better suited to playing as a three-technique in a one-gap system.

With Williams gone this year it could mean more of a chance for Robertson-Harris to prove he deserves the bigger money, although it's difficult to see him going over the 51% of defensive snaps he earned last year because Akiem Hicks is now healthy. Robertson-Harris, Williams and Bilal Nichols all had extra duty last year because of Hicks' injury.

So with Robertson-Harris it will come down to maximizing what playing time he does get.

Then the Bears will need to make a decision based on what funds they have available.

Roy Robertson-Harris at a Glance

UTEP DE/DT

Height: 6-foot-5

Weight: 292

Key Numbers: Robertson-Harris had 21 quarterback hits and 32 total pressures over the last two seasons according to Sportradar, official NFL stat partner.

2020 Projection: 2.5 sacks, 20 tackles, 32% of defensive snaps.

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