The Chicago Bears have two decisions to make with unrestricted free agents on their roster. They have both Joe Thomas, and Matt Adams, two linebackers who saw the field a decent bit due to injuries around them.
Joe Thomas wound up starting nine games as the SAM linebacker, and he played 413 snaps, the second-most snaps of his career. Beyond that, he was notable on special teams for 264 snaps. Adams started three games Iate in the season as the WILL. He logged 189 snaps, and 204 special teams snaps.
Of course, Adams also missed time during the middle of the season on the injured reserve. So, the gap probably would have been about even, indicating they like both players.
Will Chicago Bears re-sign Matt Adams or Joe Thomas?
While both players would have to come back cheap, there is a legitimate chance the Chicago Bears will re-sign both linebackers.
In the case of Adams, he has been with Matt Eberflus his entire career. He followed him here after being a late-round pick by the Colts. Dave Borgonzi, the Bears linebackers coach has also been with him his entire career.
So, it is easy to see him returning on a cheap deal. The reality is that if Jack Sanborn is going to start, they need to pay someone to back him up. It might be tricky working out a salary for a veteran who will likely come in and be behind a UDFA, so re-signing Adams to a cheap deal, knowing he is bought in does make sense.
For Thomas, the question will be what they want to do elsewhere. Essentially, the team will carry six linebackers.
If Jack Sanborn is a starter, and Sterling Weatherford is signed for special teams, then they have Matt Adams as the backup for Sanborn, they still need three players. That includes one backup and two starter-level players.
So, the Chicago Bears could certainly bring back Thomas knowing that he would complete their depth. They would still need to find a starter next to Sanborn, as well as a starter in the SAM role.
So, the team may want to bring in two potential starters at SAM and move on from Thomas. The decision with Nicholas Morrow will matter too because the team would like to upgrade, and not just run the whole room back.
Still, if they can bring back Adams and Thomas on the cheap, it does allow them to add assets to edge rusher, defensive line, and right tackle, which is where they need to spend serious money. So, there is a real chance that both Adams and Thomas are back, as long as the price is right, and as long as they both realize they are depth and backups, despite being called on to start last year.