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Long-Term Deal for Defensive Tackle

Larry Ogunjobi of the Cincinnati Bengals has agreed to sign a three-year contract in free agency with the Bears and becomes a key cog in their new defensive approach
Gene Chamberlain|
Long-Term Deal for Defensive Tackle
Long-Term Deal for Defensive Tackle

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Chicago BearsCincinnati Bengals

The Bears have their three technique on the defensive line and it came at a high cost.

According to NFL Network's Ian Rapoport, the Bears have agreed to a three-year deal with Bengals free agent defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi.

The 6-foot-4, 305-pound sixth-year player is coming off a year when he produced career highs of seven sacks and 12 tackles for loss with 16 starts for the AFC champions. 

The contract was reported to be worth $40.5 million. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune said the guaranteed money is $26.35 million.

Ogunjobi is coming off a broken foot that required surgery to repair. He suffered it against the Raiders in the wild-card playoffs.

Ogunjobi left the Browns on a one-year, $6.2 million contract last year, which included $4.6 million in bonus money.

How this affects the Bears' possible pursuit of their own free agent Bilal Nichols isn't known. Akiem Hicks is also a free agent but neither Hicks nor Nichols were seen as ideal fits for the new 4-3 defense that emphasizes attacking upfield in gaps. The Bears already had cut nose tackle Eddie Goldman and it's possible they'll lose all three defensive linemen who made up the front of their 3-4. All of them were two-gap linemen who occupied blockers first in the scheme.

The Bears had been one of the league's better run defenses from 2017-2019 but then started slipping and were 23rd in the league last year.

Ogunjobi's burst off the ball is reported by Pro Football Focus as a great strength.

In four seasons with Cleveland and one with the Bengals, Ogunjobi made 41 tackles for loss and 21 1/2 sacks to go with 229 tackles.

He was originally a third-round pick by Cleveland in 2017.

Shortly after signing with the Bears, new coach Matt Eberflus labeled a three technique on the line as critical for his new scheme's success. It's the position played by Tommie Harris when the Bears used this 4-3 defense under Lovie Smith. He also noted the weakside linebacker and slot cornerback are critical to the scheme's success.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.

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