3 free agent linebackers with strong ties to Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears will be active in free agency this offseason. One position they are likely to address is linebacker. The team is going to be losing Nicholas Morrow, and while they could re-sign him, they also may be looking to replace him in free agency.

We saw last offseason that the team was okay with signing players that they are familiar with from past relationships with coaches or front office workers. The following linebackers fit that bill perfectly and could wind up signing with the Chicago Bears because of past relationships. Who are those players?

3. The Chicago Bears are familiar with Lavonte David

Lavonte David had a long and successful career with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He was drafted in 2012 and has turned into a premier linebacker. Still, he is now going to be 34 years old, and the Buccaneers are at a crossroads.

They just lost Tom Brady, so they have to decide if it is time to rebuild or not. Re-signing an aging veteran would not be in line with the rebuild philosophy. So, it may be time for David to look for a new team. One thing that could not hurt the Chicago Bears' ability to sign him is Dave Borgonzi.

Borgonzi was a defensive assistant and worked firsthand with the linebackers from 2014-2017. That is some of the better years we saw from David connected to the Chicago Bears' current linebackers coach.

David is at the age where he will either be signing with a contender or signing with a team because he trusts the coaches and the situation he is jumping into. The Chicago Bears would be the latter. They may be interested in David because he would bring a winning veteran presence that the team lacks. With David as a veteran, and Sanborn in year two, they would have an established veteran and an up-and-coming youngster. It could be a nice fit. If it happens, thank Borgonzi.