Slump or Jump: Is Leonard Floyd ready to breakout in 2018?

As the Bears 2018 offseason continues, there is no doubt that the Bears have gotten better on paper.

Being one of the youngest teams in the NFL, the Bears have plenty of players at multiple positions that seem like they’re waiting to take take the next step. Today, we examine whether or not Leonard Floyd can take the next step in 2018.

We’ve already examined whether or not Mitchell Trubisky, Jordan Howard, Tarik Cohen, and Eddie Jackson can take the next step in 2018.

Leonard Floyd is someone who seems to have all the potential in the world, but unfortunately, he’s missed a total of ten games due to various injuries since being drafted in 2016. Now, heading into 2018, it seems as if he’s heading towards a make-or-break year.

2017 season recap:

In ten games, Floyd totaled 4.5 sacks, twenty-four tackles, and ten assisted tackles.

As a top-ten pick, it’s very clear that Floyd hasn’t played up to top-ten expectations. However, he’s still young (Twenty-five years old) meaning he’s still in the Bears plans until at least after the conclusion of the 2019 season which will be the final year of his rookie contract.

So far, when it comes to evaluating Floyd, it’s difficult for one to say what he really is. Is he an ascending pass rusher who hopes to join the NFL’s elites such as Von Miller and Khalil Mack? Or is he an above-average pass rusher who’ll occasionally make plays in games?

When the Bears traded up two spots to grab Floyd in 2016, the main goal behind such a move was clear: Finding the defense a long-term edge rusher that would fit Vic Fangio’s 3-4 defense.

Floyd has shown flashes of being what the Bears envisioned he would be, but unfortunately, he’s flashed too little over a two-year period which has raised questions about his durability and whether or not he’s built to play an every-down starter in the NFL.

There are many reasons as to why Floyd can have a monster 2018 season and finally be what the Bears envisioned him to be when they drafted him.

First, the Bears have a completely new training staff, which means that they hope that there will be fewer injuries for the team as a whole.

Second, playing in his third year in Vic Fangio’s system, he could finally put it all together. Typically, the third-year of an NFL’s player is always the most interesting as it begins to show whether or not the team made the right decision. As a rookie, year one is all about learning the speed and complex schemes of the NFL game, while gaining valuable experience. Year two represents the year the player begins to show improvement in all aspects of the game, while year three is reserved for the breakout season.

Recall that one of the reasons Floyd had somewhat of a rocky first two years is also due to his weight. Upon being drafted, most experts agreed that he was too light to be playing as an outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense in the NFL. With a third year of NFL caliber strength training under his belt, it’s fair to expect Floyd to finally have the strength needed to matchup against NFL players.

It won’t be easy for Floyd, but thus far, it seems as if he’s heading towards finally living up to expectations in 2018. If the whole Bears defense is to take the next step, the development of Leonard Floyd might just be a major key.  

Prediction: Jump