Start the Leonard Floyd Pro Bowl campaign. No, seriously. Don’t be afraid. Feel free to spread the word right now. Okay it may sound like simple posturing but rest assured it isn’t. The only thing standing between the Chicago Bears outside linebacker and his first trip to Orlando is more health issues. That’s it. If he can avoid the string of nagging ailments he suffered last year, it’s going to happen.
Why the optimism? Well of course it starts with what he did as a rookie. At one point Floyd had six sacks in five games. It was the first indication of how good a pass rusher he could be. Most agreed that if he continued to hone his craft and add muscle to his lean frame, stardom was right around the corner.
In the first padded practice of Bears training camp, he showed both problems had been solved. Though still lean for a 6’6″ guy, it was clear Floyd had added considerable bulk to his frame. It didn’t seem to affect his speed as he flew all over the field during drills. What also stood out was his technique. More than ever he used his hands and long arms to keep blockers off his body, making it almost impossible to stop him.
Leonard Floyd Pro Bowl journey is about to begin
Don’t believe it? Several other notable media personalities saw the same thing. Dan Durkin of The Athletic, a man notorious for being hard on the Bears, came away impressed.
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Leonard Floyd's get-off speed was very noticeable today. Great body lean to convert speed to power and gain leverage. Used his length well.
— dan durkin (@djdurkin) July 29, 2017
TE trifecta for Leonard Floyd in 1:1 pass rush drills, beat Zach Miller, Daniel Brown and Dion Sims. Stab and swim, good leverage and bend.
— dan durkin (@djdurkin) July 29, 2017
It wasn’t just him either. Representatives from the Chicago Tribune, Chicago Sun-Times, Daily Herald, CBS Sports and ESPN all mentioned it as well. Perhaps the most noticeable moment though came during 11-on-11 drills. Andrew Link of SB Nation breaks it down in his recent camp notebook here.
“Floyd was beating virtually everyone in his path today. His speed is unbelievable. His newfound strength was also on display as I saw him use speed to get an angle, then convert to power as he “punched” into Charles Leno Jr., work an inside rip move and close for what would have been a sack of Mike Glennon. It was beautiful and I fully expect to see that from him on a more consistent basis.”
Floyd is reportedly up to 251 lbs. That’s close to 15 more than what he started with as a rookie. The fact he hasn’t lost an iota of his trademark speed is exactly what the Bears were going for. Given the injury status of Pernell McPhee, the emergence of Floyd is more vital than ever. If this defense is going to take that next step, they need the pass rush to lead the way. Floyd must be out in front on that.
It appears he’s ready for that responsibility.
