Chicago Bears: Bargain free agents who could still be upgrades for 2020

Why is Darron Lee not in a Chicago Bears uniform yet?

We addressed the addition of Darron Lee awhile back and shockingly he is still on the market. This is perplexing to me. Lee fits Ryan Pace’s free agency formula to a T as a former first-round pick. He would make for a better backup to Danny Trevathan and Roquan Smith than Josh Woods, Joel Iyiegbuniwe and Rashad Smith.

Lee has started 38 games over his four-year career. He started 15 of those games for the Jets in 2017 and racked up 94 combined tackles along with three sacks. In a backup role for the Kansas City Chiefs last season, (what he would be here in Chicago), Lee started two games and played in 15. Over that span, he finished with 31 combined tackles — 22 were solos and nine were assists.

What is important for backup linebackers in the NFL is the ability to play special teams. Lee saw 57 percent of the Chiefs’ special teams snaps in 2019 and helped contribute to the team winning the Super Bowl. At this point in the offseason, Lee will see a very low contract and fits what the Chicago Bears can currently afford.