Getty Jalen Hurts of the Philadelphia Eagles is tackled by former Bears LB Nicholas Morrow.
Former Chicago Bears starting linebacker Nicholas Morrow could soon find himself without a job.
Morrow started all 17 games for the Bears last season, but Chicago chose to go in a different direction, electing not to re-sign him. The Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles wound up doing a linebacker swap of sorts, as the Eagles signed Morrow and the Bears added former Philadelphia starter T.J. Edwards.
Neither Bo Wulf nor Zach Berman of The Athletic picked Morrow to make Philly’s 53-man roster, and Dave Mangels of Bleeding Green Nation wrote this about Morrow on August 12:
“Nicholas Morrow is on his third team in as many seasons, and the two times he’s been a starter, it’s been for terrible defenses. That’s obviously not entirely his fault, but a journeyman who’s only been a part of bad units doesn’t fill you with confidence.” Mangels also added he “would not be surprised” if Morrow was cut during the preseason.
Injuries in Philly & Strong Preseason Could Help Morrow
“Early in free agency, Nicholas Morrow inked a $4.5 million pact with the Philadelphia Eagles. It looked like he’d immediately slot in as a starter. … That forecast isn’t so promising now,” David Kenyon of Bleacher Report wrote on August 13, adding: “Morrow’s projected role is seemingly dwindling by the week.”
He may not wind up being a starter, but Morrow, who started 29 games over his first four seasons with the Raiders prior to his stint in Chicago last year, could still do enough to stick around with the Eagles.
Philly lost linebacker Shaun Bradley for the year after a season-ending injury during Week 1 of the preseason. Morrow also performed well in Philadelphia’s first preseason matchup, so Bradley’s injury coupled with a noteworthy preseason could help his chances.
Nicholas Morrow had the 5th highest PFF grade on the team last night (88.7).
Looking forward to seeing if he can make an impact at LB this year.
Bears’ Revamped LB Corps Could Be One of NFL’s Best
After signing Edwards, 27, to a three-year, $19.5 million deal while also adding former Buffalo Bills Pro Bowler Tremaine Edmunds (25 years old, four-year contract, $72 million), Chicago now has arguably one of the best linebacking groups in the league.
Add second-year standout Jack Sanborn, who broke out as an undrafted rookie last year, to the mix and you have a young group full of solid athletes who are all beasts at the position.
There’s also rookie Noah Sewell, who has been impressing early and often during training camp. Sewell, a fifth-round pick out of Oregon, is competing with Sanborn for the Sam (strong side) LB position. Sewell had a strong preseason debut against the Tennessee Titans, finishing with four tackles (one for loss), a sack and a QB hit.
Considering the Bears traded away All-Pro linebacker Roquan Smith last year, they’ve come a long way in terms of shoring up the position group.
I don’t think people realize just how much better this #DaBears Team is from Last Year.
We always focus on Offense. But they may have just revamped one of the worst LB Cores into a Top 10.
Post Ro Trade: Sanborn,Adams, Morrow , Thomas
2023: Edmunds, Edwards, Sanborn, Sewell
The Bears are also paying Edwards an average of $6.5 million per season to start, while Morrow signed a one-year deal worth $1.5 and isn’t a lock to make Philadelphia’s roster, so it seems accurate to suggest the Bears made an affordable, smart option by choosing Edwards over Morrow.
It’s one example of how far the Bears have come in reshaping their roster in just a year.