The Chicago Bears roster focus has primarily centered around two positions. Them being tight end and of course kicker. Neither could be considered settled at this point. Trey Burton and Adam Shaheen have health issues. Eddy Pineiro and Elliott Fry still remain deadlocked in their competition. These situations have made it easy to overlook other problematic areas. Namely the depth at outside linebacker.
The preseason loss to Carolina revealed the Bears may have a reason for concern there. Nobody stood out at the position. Isaiah Irving and Kylie Fitts had one or two nice plays but failed to record a sack. They looked exactly like who they were at the end of 2018. Undrafted free agents Mathieu Betts and Chuck Harris, who came in with a lot of promise, didn’t stand out either.
People must remember that the outside linebackers endured injury issues last year. Leonard Floyd played eight games with a broken hand. Aaron Lynch missed the final three games with a bad elbow injury. Even Khalil Mack suffered an ankle setback that cost him two games. Depth could be vital to the success of this group and it’s looking shaky. That’s why the Bears may want to consider adding some help.
One name that may soon be available who could help with that?
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Shaquem Griffin.
Chicago Bears could utilize Griffin the right way
This may sound unusual. Griffin, for those who don’t remember, was the incredible story from 2018. A young man who inspired UCF to dominance and was their best defensive player. All despite having only one hand. After an inspirational scouting combine performance, the Seattle Seahawks saw enough to make him a 5th round pick in the draft. From there he became a reserve outside linebacker and special teams player.
However, recent changes to the roster have indicated he may not survive the final cuts this year. Bob Condotta of the Seattle Times explained.
“A final LB spot may well come down to Shaquem Griffin or Burr-Kirven. Seattle’s investment in the two is almost exactly the same — Griffin was pick 141 in 2018 and Burr-Kirven was pick 142 in 2019. Griffin also for now has a specific special-teams role that could give him an edge as the up back on the punt team (he handled it most of Thursday before DeShawn Shead took over at the end).
For today, a slight lean to Griffin for his special-teams roles and that he has played more SLB. But that could change weekly. And it’s worth noting how Carroll volunteered praise of how Burr-Kirven helped set up Shead’s blitz that resulted in a safety. That’s the kind of headiness Burr-Kirven was known for at UW. If he shows a bit more of that, he may be hard to keep off the roster.”
So why should the Bears even be interested in a 4-3 backup outside linebacker? Namely because Griffin is playing in a system that isn’t taking full advantage of his best trait. Throughout his time at UCF, he was lethal as a pass rusher. Over his final two seasons, he had 18.5 sacks and 33.5 tackles for loss. He also forced four fumbles.
The kid knows how to get to the quarterback.
He plays with great leverage, has a non-stop motor and shows both the quickness and strength to fight through blocks to create pressure. Thus far in his career, the Seahawks have sent him as a pass rusher just three times. They’re basically putting a ferocious animal in a cage by doing that. He needs to be in a defense that will turn him loose. Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano would be perfect for him.
Pagano is not only an aggressive coach who likes to attack, but he’s also well-versed in utilizing undersized pass rushers. Griffin is only 6’0 tall, which is short even for a 3-4 outside linebacker. However, that didn’t stop Pagano with guys like Elvis Dumervil (5’11) and Robert Mathis (6’2) who excelled under his watch. This kid can at the very least being a situational pass rusher on this team. All he needs is a chance.
The Chicago Bears can afford to give it to him.
