4 free agents the Chicago Bears can use to replace Robert Quinn
The Chicago Bears are in a tough position when it comes to Robert Quinn. Clearly, Matt Eberflus and the staff want Quinn to be present at their mandatory minicamp this week. The mandatory minicamp started yesterday and runs through today and tomorrow. Quinn hasn’t reported for any of the voluntary minicamps and some are speculating that with him not attending the mandatory one, he is pushing for a trade.
Personally, I have decided to remain patient. However, as someone who reports on the Chicago Bears, I cannot ignore the elephant in the room. Robert Quinn missed the mandatory minicamp in 2021 while he rehabbed a back injury. He reported on time for training camp and finished the season with 18.5 sacks — one sack more than Richard Dent’s former franchise record.
Quinn commented after the Khalil Mack trade that he had hoped to not be traded, however, plenty could have changed between March and now. Reports were that the Bears were shopping Quinn prior to the NFL Draft, but they were not getting any offers they found to be fair. Maybe that put a bad taste in Quinn’s mouth? Or, maybe he is just not attending camp knowing he’s a veteran who doesn’t need to be there and will show up at training camp just as he did in 2021?
The Chicago Bears could look to add a free agent if they trade Robert Quinn
Needless to say, if the Chicago Bears are able to find a trade partner for Robert Quinn, going into the season with Trevis Gipson and Al-Quadin Muhammad would not be the end of the world. Muhammad is very familiar with this system and Gipson is coming off a very solid 2021 season. The depth behind these two is a little rough though. Mario Edwards, Charles Snowden, Sam Kamara and rookies, Dominique Robinson and Carson Taylor are all who are left.
When we look at the current free agent market, not including any players who could still be cut prior to the start of the 2022 season, these three options stand out to me.
The Chicago Bears could add Justin Houston through free agency
The most obvious choice to me is Justin Houston. I know Houston is not young, but either was Robert Quinn. If Quinn is traded for a future 2023 draft pick, Houston could be the guy to bring in and replace him. Houston is coming off a down year with the Ravens where he only racked up 4.5 sacks. He had his highest missed-tackle rate in four years too, but that also has to do with him playing OLB instead of a down lineman.
Houston was with Matt Eberflus and Alan Williams in Indianapolis in 2020 and 2019. Houston finished with 8.0 and 11.0 sacks those two years. He knows the system, he knows the coaches and would make an immediate upgrade to the depth should Quinn no longer be on the roster.