Position Battle (Starters): None.
The starters at ILB are going to be Danny Trevathan and Jerrell Freeman. Trevathan developed under John Fox and has talked about playing for him since the days after the Broncos Super Bowl win. There is a clear level of trust and respect between the two and Fox is comfortable handing the reins of the defense over to Trevathan.
Freeman is coming off his best overall NFL season when he finally combined his ability to stop the run with the ability to cover tight ends and running backs. He’s become a complete ILB and paired with Trevathan gives the Bears potentially the best ILB combo in the NFL since… Patrick Willis and Navorro Bowman?
Position Battle (Back-ups):
I’m adding a new category for this position break down since there were six ILBs that played for the Bears last year that are now all battling for back-up positions. Two of them, LaRoy Reynolds and Shea McClelllin (good riddance) are gone, but there are still four major contributors at ILB last year who are fighting for back-up roles with a rookie who has a better draft pedigree than all of them.
The Bears originally only kept four inside linebackers when the final 53-man roster was announced, but at times they had as many as six on the active roster due to the fact that it is normally a key position for special teams contributors. Trevathan and Freeman are locks as is 4th round pick Nick Kwiatkoski, and not just because his draft pedigree.
Kwiatkoski is a name that most fans hadn’t heard of before the draft unless they watch BIG12 football, but this guy is going to be a fan favorite from the get-go. The Bears traded a sixth-round pick to move up just four spots in the 4th round, which seems like a high price to pay to move up four spots on day three, but take my word for it that Kwiatkoski is worth it. He’s a former safety, so excels in coverage, who has put on enough weight to be a solid run-stopper and take on NFL linemen. He can cover, he can shed blocks, he has a knack for well-timed blitzes, but what will make Kwiatkoski stand out is his ability to hit.
He’s a heat-seeking missile on the field and one of those rare players who seems to relish contact. Kwiatkoski routinely sacrifices his body to make the biggest hit possible, riling up both his teammates and fans. He’s an old-school., hard-nosed linebacker who takes pleasure in laying people out, while still being fast enough to cover and be a sideline-to-sideline run stopper. Don’t be surprised if Kwiatkoski is replacing Jerrell Freeman on sub-package plays by the 2nd half of the season. Bears fans are going to love this kid.
So that’s three spots locked up already on a team that may only keep four or five inside linebackers. Kwiatkoski is a better fit for the “Jack” position that Trevathan plays. I think he can play either, but at a maxed out 243 pounds he’s a better fit playing outside the tackles than playing the “Mike” ILB role who spends most of his time between the tackles.
So who is the primary backup for Jerrell Freeman on running downs? I’m going with the best run stopper from the ILB position last year, John Timu. It’s an upset pick considering that he didn’t see the field on defense until week 14 last season. He started the final three games of the year and led the team in tackles in two of those three games, averaging just under eight tackles per game and recovering two fumbles.
There was a noticeable difference in the run defense when Timu was on the field because he showed the ability to read plays faster than any other ILB on the team and attack the line of scrimmage with abandon, making contact with the back before allowing him to gain a few yards untouched (looking at you Shea!).
Timu struggles in man coverage due to a lack of foot speed, but has great instincts in zone coverages and reads the QBs eyes very well when he drops back in the center of the zone. Timu had an interception in the preseason and had another called back due to a phantom penalty, he also had 2 picks in college and defended 20 passes in his three years as a captain on a Washington defense that had five defensive players drafted in the top three rounds last season. His man coverage is an issue, but as the 4th or 5th ILB he can be inserted into the lineup in situations where his deficiencies in coverage won’t be exposed and his run stopping instincts, knack for being around the ball, and leadership can be used effectively.
Verdict: Kwiatkoski (Jack) & Timu (Mike)
Next: 53-Man Roster Battle