GM Ryan Poles said from the beginning that his focus for the Chicago Bears would be in the trenches. He wasn’t lying. His first-ever big move in NFL free agency was securing 27-year old defensive tackle Larry Ogunjobi to a three-year deal worth $40.5 million. Back in January, I singled out the former Cincinnati Bengals starter as somebody that made perfect sense for the Bears due to their new coaching staff and his fit in their defensive scheme.
Matt Eberflus plans to install a version of the classic Tampa-2 scheme. The same one Lovie Smith made famous during his extended run from 2004 to 2012. Any Bears fan with a good memory knows that the system needs certain vital positions filled with talented players to function. None is more critical than the three-technique defensive tackle. That is the designated interior pass rusher. It was the spot occupied by the likes of Tommie Harris and Henry Melton.
With Akiem Hicks and Bilal Nichols headed for free agency, the Bears had few options.
That changes with Ogunjobi. Last season, he proved that he could be a presence on the interior, collecting seven sacks and 41 pressures. Unfortunately, he didn’t get to finish the mission as a foot injury sidelined him in the playoffs. It is fair to wonder what might’ve been different had he been able to play in the Super Bowl for Cincinnati. Now he’ll get a chance to play on a front between Robert Quinn and Trevis Gipson.
Grade: B
Let’s get one thing clear. Larry Ogunjobi is not on the level of what Harris was back in the 2000s. Nor is he what Eberflus had in Indianapolis with DeForest Buckner. However, he was easily one of the best interior pass rushers available on the market. According to Over The Cap, they landed him at $13.5 million per year, which ranks him 13th among interior defensive linemen in the league. That contract will be a steal if the Bears get similar production he gave the Bengals last season. Especially when the salary cap goes up again in 2023.
Subscribe to the BFR Youtube channel and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
It is also only a three-year deal. So if the move ends up flopping, the Bears should be able to get out from under it quickly. The only problem people seem to have with it is that Ogunjobi plays defense. The team should be spending that money on the offensive side to help Justin Fields. While there is truth to that, both sides of the ball must be good to win. This move considerably helps the defense, and plenty of money remains to help the offense.
