The Chicago Bears sign Angelo Blackson, who was with the Arizona Cardinals previously. Blackson has been a defensive tackle who has moved from the 1 to 3-technique but has stayed on the inside. There are two ways to look at the signing of Blackson, but both may lead to different results.
On the one hand, the Chicago Bears lost Roy Robertson-Harris via free agency. Brent Urban is a free agent as well and may not be re-signed. The Bears very well could be replacing one, if not both, with Blackson.
Last season, Blackson played 551 snaps for the Arizona Cardinals, which resulted in 49.7% of the defensive snaps. On the other end, Urban and RRH combined for 615 snaps. RRH played 22.88%, and Urban played 34.55%
So, it is a pretty even swap that Blackson may take on both roles but may see the same number of snaps as the year prior. Still, RRH also missed almost the season with an injury. In 2019, he played 543 snaps, which is right in line with what Blackson played and would be expected to play.
It could very easily be that this is a move to replace Roy Robertson-Harris. Still, the Bears were moving on from RRH to save money. Blackson may not be as productive down in and down out, but is not far off, and has been much healthier recently.
When they go out and sign Blackson, although not breaking the budget, it is a bit of a surprise considering they have Akiem Hicks, Bilal Nichols, and Eddie Goldman is slated to return. Blackson would be a great depth piece but is overkill for a roster that has a strong DL and needs elsewhere. We have not seen the money, but the Bears should have been focused on replacing RRH with a minimum salary player. They have gotten the most of cheap depth pieces whether it be RRH, Mario Edwards, or Brent Urban. Beyond that, they extended Edwards, ensuring the DL will be more expensive in 2021 than 2020 barring any change.
So will there be a change?
The Bears are reportedly close to the salary cap and have had discussions about moving on from Akiem Hicks or Kyle Fuller. While Blackson could fill in for RRH, the Bears would only save money on their defensive line by letting Hicks go.
If the team were letting Hicks go, they would have to feel good about a replacement on the roster. In getting Goldman back and signing Blackson, is that enough to feel comfortable to move on from Akiem Hicks?
It would give the Bears a chance to turn defensive cap space into offensive cap space. The Bears would be wise to spend less on their DL, and more on their offense at this point.
So, while Blackson is more than likely a Roy Robertson-Harris replacement, it has to at least be considered that Akiem Hicks may be on the move as well.