After shoring up the services of veteran linebacker Danny Trevathan Thursday, the Chicago Bears made another strong move to secure the services of another key defensive role player.
Per Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune, the Bears have placed a one-year, second-round tender on defensive end Roy Robertson-Harris. According to Biggs, “The Bears were likely motivated to go above the original tender level, which would have cost about $2.2 million, a significant savings. However, because Robertson-Harris was an undrafted free agent, the Bears would only have right of first refusal on an offer sheet at the original round level and the still improving and versatile defender would have received considerable interest from other teams.”
The Bears using a second-round tender on Robertson-Harris means he’ll be making around $3.4 million in 2020, which may be a sum too hefty for other teams to match. In the event another team tries to sign Robertson-Harris away from the Bears at this point, the Bears have the right to refuse the offer. If they choose not to match another contract offer should Robertson-Harris receive one, Chicago would get a second-round pick if the former UDFA signs elsewhere.
An undrafted free agent when he signed with Chicago as a rookie prior to the start of the 2016 NFL season, Robertson-Harris has come a long way in his three seasons. In his 44 games with the Bears, Robertson-Harris has 7.5 sacks, eight tackles for loss, one fumble recovery, and six passes defensed.
He has also become a key role player for the Bears, and has provided solid pass-rushing in relief of starter Akiem Hicks. Robertson-Harris played in 15 games this past season, and he had 10 quarterback hits, 2.5 sacks, three tackles for loss, and 30 tackles. RRH spent his entire rookie year on the injured reserve list, but he has been an impactful player in his limited opportunities with the Bears. So much so, he has earned the respect of one of the all-time greats: quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
“I see a guy who wants to be a good football player,” Rodgers said of RRH last fall. “He hasn’t been worried about the depth chart since I got here. Just keep grinding, just keep working, whether you’re on the third team or first team. At the end of the day, you’re going to be evaluated on what you do, and so that’s what I see from him, a guy who comes to work every day.”
Robertson-Harris has turned out to be quite the find for this Bears team, and the odds are excellent he’ll be wearing orange and navy again next year.
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