Our countdown of the 25 most important Chicago Bears players continues as we are down to number 12, linebacker Tremaine Edmunds, an important playmaker.
There are just over two weeks before the Chicago Bears begin their training camp. Ahead of that, we have our countdown of the 25 most important players for 2024. We are down to number 12. There we have linebacker Tremaine Edmunds.
Edmunds was an important piece added to the Chicago Bears’ defense in 2023. General manager Ryan Poles signed him as a free agent. He failed to come up with a contract extension with star linebacker Roquan Smith. Smith was looking for $100 million but Poles could not go that high for one player. Ultimately, Poles traded Smith to the Baltimore Ravens for draft picks.
Instead of paying all that money for one player, Poles overhauled the linebackers unit. He spent $19.5 million for T.J. Edwards to play the weakside linebacker and $72 million for Edmunds to be the middle linebacker. Throw in Jack Sanborn‘s rookie contract and Poles built one of the top linebackers unit for less than $94 million.
That was some savvy spending for the Chicago Bears.
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In 2023, Edmunds had 113 tackles (5 for loss), 7 passes defended, 4 interceptions, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery. The total tackles meant he eclipsed 100+ tackles for the sixth straight season. He has not had fewer than 100 tackles in any season. Additionally, he finished second on the team in tackles despite missing two games.
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The signing of Edmunds was a big surprise for the Chicago Bears. He was the top free-agent linebacker on the market. Not many people expected the Bears, with their many holes to fill, to be on Edmunds’ market. He said he wanted to be a part of rebuilding the famed Monsters of the Midway defense.
I feel like individuals make the best moves when you’re underestimated, and I wanted to go to a team where I could be part of a rebuild. I can be part of turning this thing around, man. Just being a part of that and being a big part of that defense and being a big part of that rebuild, it made me want to be a part of it, for sure.
Edmunds was a big part of the defensive improvement for the Chicago Bears. The defense led the NFL in interceptions with 22 and he had four of them, nearly 20 percent of that total. He has excellent coverage skills, registering 42 passes defended in his career.
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Edmunds also helped against the run. After having the second-worst run defense in the league in 2022, the Chicago Bears ranked number one in 2023. Edmunds was a big part of that. He can run sideline to sideline to make tackles. Additionally, playing the middle linebacker, he does a good job of calling the signals and putting teammates in a position to succeed.
The Bears defense had a slow start last season. There were a lot of new faces on the defense and it took some time for everyone to get on the same page. Also, Alan WIlliams, who started the season as the Chicago Bears defensive coordinator, had to resign for personal reasons. That put more pressure on the defensive players.
However, once Williams left and head coach Matt Eberflus took over play-calling for the defense, the defense got on a roll. This season, though, the players hope to get out of the box quickly so they can dominate the entire season. The Chicago Bears want to be a top-five defense again. Getting off quickly is key to doing that.
If the Chicago Bears hope to fly as high as they expect to, they need to get great play from Tremaine Edmunds. He needs to pull everything and everyone together and help them take the next step up so the defense can be an elite unit. He said he wanted to be a part of this rebuild. He is about to get it done.
Previous rankings: #25: Tory Taylor #24: Velus Jones #23: Jack Sanborn #22: Gerald Everett #21: Kyler Gordon #20: Cairo Santos #19: Kevin Byard #18: Nate Davis #17: Jaquan Brisker #16: Austin Booker #15:Tyrique Stevenson #14: Darnell Wright #13: Khalil Herbert
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