The Chicago Bears are reportedly signing defensive tackle, Larry Ogunjobi
With Matt Eberflus the new head coach and Alan Williams the new defensive coordinator, it is imperative for the Chicago Bears to sign a new defensive tackle. Bilal Nichols is on his way out the door and so is Akiem Hicks. This leaves a gaping hole that Khyiris Tonga is not going to be able to fill on his own. In the Eberflus and Williams’ system, the Chicago Bears will need a solid 3-technique.
Eddie Goldman did not fit the mold that Eberflus wants to instill with his HITS philosophy and he makes for a better nose tackle in a 3-4 base scheme too. Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus have helped deliver some massive changes rather quickly. With the 3-technique defensive tackle being a major priority, the Chicago Bears landed a solid option by signing Larry Ogunjobi.
The Chicago Bears land their 3-technique by signing Larry Ogunjobi
This name was rumored as a key target in free agency and we see Matt Eberflus get his 3-technique. This is a sign that Bilal Nichols is not going to be brought back by the way. Ogunjobi is coming off of a one-year deal with the Bengals. He finished with seven sacks for the Bengals in 16 games.
Ogunjobi is underrated in my opinion and not a household name, but he has averaged over five sacks per year over the last four years. He was a third-round pick by the Cleveland Browns in 2017. He is a big defensive lineman at just over 300 pounds, but he has a quick first step off the ball that allows him to get into the backfield. What’s great for Chicago is that he is only 27 years old (will be 28 once the regular season starts).
What is nice about Ogunjobi is that he has great versatility. He’s played the nose tackle (0-technique) position for Cleveland and has lined up as a 1-technique too. In the Eberflus and Williams defense, he should be primarily lined up as the 3-technique though. He has had 20+ pressures in three of the last four years and the year he struggled to get into the backfield he played less in the 3-technique spot.
It will be interesting to see the money that Larry Ogunjobi sees, but it will likely be a fairly high number. He’s coming off of a $6.2 million dollar deal with the Bengals. I’d have to guess he’s getting between $8 and $10 million per year in AAV.
UPDATE: Three-year, $40.5 million dollar deal that includes $26.35 million guaranteed.