Start the Chicago Bears Marcus Rush hype train. Wait, what? Or better yet, who? Most fans won’t recognize the name unless they’re preseason enthusiasts or die hard college football fans. Rush is a young pass rusher who made a name for himself in the Big 10 before trying to hammer his way into the NFL through sheer force of excellence during August football.
GM Ryan Pace always prides himself having an in-depth knowledge of every notable free agent on the market. It goes back to his time as a pro personnel director for the New Orleans Saints. So far he’s had a lot of success finding hidden gems. If he’s as detailed as he comes across, he’ll know the value of somebody like Rush.
According to Pro Football Talk, the Jacksonville Jaguars decided to part ways with the 25-year old outside linebacker after a brief run with them at the end of 2016.
“Rush failed to make the Niners last year and spent most of the season on their practice squad before being signed by the Jaguars for the last two games of the regular season. They won’t be taking an extended look at him this offseason, however.
The Jaguars announced on Tuesday that they have waived Rush from their 90-man roster.”
Why a Bears Marcus Rush connection is smart business
It is really difficult to figure out why teams aren’t interested in Rush. He’s young, first of all. That’s always a big thing, right? Beyond that is the fact he comes from a proven background. Rush was a big part of Michigan State during their memorable run a few years ago. His final year there in 2014 he had 7.5 sacks, 10.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. The Spartans ended up beating Stanford for the Rose Bowl championship.
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He chose to sign with the San Francisco 49ers as an undrafted free agent. From there he proceeded to become their preseason MVP. Between 2015 and 2016 he collected seven sacks. Six of those came in the final three games of the 2016 slate. He’d proven himself to be a tough, smart and aggressive player who just knew how to get into the opposing backfield.
The NFL is a league build around deep rosters. This due to the physical nature of the game. Chicago was caught exposed in 2016 with many of their positions ravaged by injury. So there is no shame in them taking every opportunity to improve the back end of their depth chart. All the while providing more competition to the guys at the top.
Marcus Rush is a determined, hard-working player. He may not be at the athletic level of a Leonard Floyd but that doesn’t seem to matter. His passion for the game of football, and obvious work ethic make up for many of those drawbacks. Isn’t this the kind of player the new Bears regime is supposed to be built on? That makes the idea of signing all the more realistic. Not to mention wise.
