Should the Chicago Bears re-sign Mario Edwards, or let him walk in free agency
As the Chicago Bears enter a tumultuous offseason, they have plenty of decisions. One of the underlying decisions is Mario Edwards. Edwards was a late signing, but would up making a huge impact. He recorded 22 pressures, according to PFF, and added 16 run stops as well.
However, after signing a cheap one-year deal, Mario Edwards is now set to hit free agency once again. Should the Chicago Bears hope for him to return, or look elsewhere to replace Edwards?
Stay
Behind the starting four of Robert Quinn, Khalil Mack, Bilal Nichols, and Akiem Hicks, Edwards was fifth on the team in pressures. He is their top bench pass rusher, in a league where depth matters. Beyond that, Hicks is aging and has been banged up. Perhaps, his time will start to be reduced to get the most out of him.
The reality is that the Bears invested in Edwards when not many teams were interested. He fit into his role well and has seen the downside of being somewhere he is not a fit. Why not sign on for a raise, but still a team-friendly deal that keeps him in the same city, defense, and with Hicks and Mack taking attention away from him.
Go
While he had more pressure per snap, Brent Urban did play more snaps than Edwards. That is because Urban was a more valuable run stuffer. Speaking of Urban, he is a free agent too and maybe coming on a cheaper salary.
The Bears are already getting Eddie Goldman as an opt-out. With Goldman, Hicks, and Nichols, they do not need to spend much on their interior. It is tough to say both Urban and Edwards will be back.
Beyond that, we have seen the magic of interior defensive lineman in Chicago. Mitch Unrein, Nick Williams, and now Edwards have all had success as a depth rusher, and in the case of Unrein and Williams, they saw bigger money extensions and struggled the following year.
The Chicago Bears have done a nice job of picking up low-end depth for the cheap and getting the most out of it. Paying up for a depth interior lineman now is not in the cards.