Chicago Bears Depth Chart
- NFC North
- Stadium
- Soldier Field
- Head Coach
- Matt Nagy
- Offensive Coordinator
- Bill Lazor
- Defensive Coordinator
- Sean Desai
- Special Teams Coach
- Chris Tabor
- Defensive Scheme
- 3-4
The Chicago Bears released cornerback Buster Skrine on Monday, according to a source. Skrine, a 10-year veteran who will turn 32 years old in April, played 68 percent of the defensive snaps in 2019, but he missed the final four games and the playoffs due to the sixth reported concussion of his career. He had 68 tackles while playing 52 percent of the snaps in 2020, and opposing quarterbacks had a 125.7 passer rating when throwing his way, according to Pro Football Reference. The Bears don't have an obvious replacement for him on their roster, but Duke Shelley and Kindle Vildor could be asked to step up. By cutting Skrine, Chicago will take a $3.3 million dead salary cap hit. The veteran would've been owed $6 million in 2021.
The Chicago Bears re-signed running back Ryan Nall to an undisclosed deal on Thursday. In his second season with the Bears in 2020, Nall had 67 yards and a touchdown on just 11 touches (three carries, eight receptions) in 16 games. He was scheduled to become a restricted free agent next month, but he'll remain in Chicago for the 2021 season as depth behind David Montgomery and Tarik Cohen. The 25-year-old went undrafted out of Oregon State before signing with the Bears, and he has just five carries for eight yards and eight catches for 67 yards and one touchdown in his first two NFL seasons. It would take several injuries in Chicago's backfield for Nall to see a significant boost in playing time.
The Chicago Bears and impending free-agent wide receiver Allen Robinson II haven't had talks about a contract extension since last September, which means that the franchise tag will likely be in play for the 2021 season. A-Rob has topped the 1,000-yard mark in each of the last two seasons in Chicago and has scored 13 touchdowns despite shoddy quarterback play. He had 1,250 of the team's 3,925 total passing yards last season, more than 31 percent. The 27-year-old said last week that he's "open to everything on the table," with the franchise-tag window opening on Feb. 23 and running through March 9. If Robinson is tagged, he's expected to earn between $16-17 million in 2021. With Chicago's situation under center still less-than-ideal, Robinson's fantasy stock would rise if he left Chicago for a better situation, but he'll remain a low-end WR1 if he sticks with the Bears.
The Chicago Bears are hiring Sean Desai as their new defensive coordinator on Friday, according to sources. He'll become the first person of Indian descent to become a coordinator in the NFL. Desai will be replacing Chuck Pagano at the position after he announced his retirement following the conclusion of the 2020 season. Desai had previously been working as the team's safeties coach, originally joining the Bears franchise in 2013 as a quality control assistant. He was promoted to safeties coach in 2019, so he has familiarity with Chicago's defense for the last seven years. The Bears Defense has plenty of potential to improve in 2021 under Desai, but they'll need more out of pass-rushers Khalil Mack and Akiem Hicks up front.
Chicago Bears defensive end Mario Edwards Jr. has been suspended without pay for the first two games of the 2021 season for violating the league's policy on performance-enhancing substances. Edwards is eligible to become a free agent this offseason and will have to serve his suspension when he signs with a new team. He had a career-high four sacks with the Bears during the 2020 season. The NFL is also investigating a legal issue involving Edwards stemming from an incident last year at a hotel in North Carolina. The 26-year-old was issued a criminal summons on a charge of misdemeanor assault on a female, but a court date has not been set. The two incidents surely aren't good as he enters the free-agent market.