Getty Veteran LB Kwon Alexander is still a free agent.
Inside linebacker is one of the bigger question marks on the Chicago Bears’ roster heading into training camp.
Defensive leader Roquan Smith is a lock at middle linebacker, while free agent acquisition Nicholas Morrow will start on the weak side, but after that, things get a tad fuzzy. Matthew Adams, also a free agent signing with Chicago this offseason, is currently the top strong-side linebacker listed on ESPN’s depth chart.
But Adams was arrested last month and charged with misdemeanor gun possession, and his inexperience (he has started just nine games in his four-year NFL career) coupled with possible missed time due to league punishment as a result of his June arrest make him the obvious weak link at ILB.
Jack Sanborn, an undrafted free agent out of Wisconsin, is the only other player on the depth chart listed at SLB, behind Adams, so adding a veteran free agent who could help Smith and Morrow in three-backer defensive sets wouldn’t be a bad thing.
One analyst has made an interesting suggestion for Chicago in this regard.
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Kwon Alexander Is Still Available on the Free Agent Market
Noting that the Bears “may want to sign a veteran heading into training camp to boost the unit,” Bleacher Report’s Jake Rill pitched former San Francisco 49ers and New Orleans Saints linebacker Kwon Alexander as an addition they can make to add some depth.
“If the Bears want to sign a free agent to fill that third linebacker spot, Kwon Alexander is still on the market,” Rill wrote on July 11. “If they don’t sign him or somebody else, then they’ll either have to rely on inexperienced players or minimize the number of times they use three-linebacker sets during games.”
While new Bears head coach Matt Eberflus hasn’t utilized many three-linebacker sets in his defensive schemes — he didn’t when he served as defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts, anyway — Chicago could still stand to benefit from adding a middle linebacker with decent experience. Alexander could provide that — but would he be worth taking a flier on?
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Alexander: Background & Stats
A fourth-round (124th overall) draft pick for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in 2015, Alexander spent his first four seasons with the Bucs, making the Pro Bowl in 2017. He inked a four-year, $54 million contract with the 49ers in 2019, but injuries plagued him during his time in San Francisco, and he was traded to the Saints in 2020.
Alexander tore his ACL Week 7 of the 2018 season, and he tore his pectoral Week 8 of his 2019 campaign. After getting traded to the Saints, the injuries continued. He suffered a torn right Achilles tendon on Christmas Day in 2020 against the Minnesota Vikings, and after recovering in time for the regular season in 2021, he sustained an elbow injury that kept him out Weeks 2-6.
He returned to action, though, and in 12 games with the Saints last year, Alexander, who turns 28 on August 3, finished with 50 tackles, 3.5 sacks, an interception, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery, per Pro Football Reference.
His injury history is concerning, but he wouldn’t be used frequently enough to put much wear and tear on his body. If he’s healthy, Alexander would be worth a look for a Bears team that could stand to benefit from his experience. He has 74 stars in the league, also amassing 521 total tackles (43 for loss), eight interceptions, 12.0 sacks, five fumble recoveries, 10 forced fumbles, 32 passes defensed and a defensive score.
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