Since we’re talking about the Bears, let’s stay there. We received some more Bears related news this week. There is yet another guy who can be called an “ex-Bear” as Akiem Hicks signed with the Tampa Bay Bucs. It wasn’t a surprise really. Kind of figured Hicks would be gone. He had been hurt too many times the last couple years, but… when he was healthy, he was a force to be reckoned with on that D line. Seeing another Bear end up elsewhere, specifically a guy from that 2018 Bears team that was a Cody Parkey kick away from possibly another Super Bowl (just go with it…), made me think of that defense, and how great it was. Where are they now?
Eddie Goldman was another one of those D-lineman that played lights out that year. I thought he was going to be good for a long time; did COVID mess this dude’s career trajectory up? He was one of the only guys throughout the NFL who decided to sit out the whole year due to COVID. When he came back on the field, he was never the same. Currently, Eddie is a free agent; have to imagine he too will have that “ex-Bear” tag playing for another team shortly. Leonard Floyd comes to mind. One of my favorite highlights in one of my favorite games of that year came courtesy of Floyd when he threw Aaron Rodgers like a rag doll as the Bears clinched the division at Soldier Field. He was inconsistent, for sure, but did the Bears give up on him too early? He did OK in his next stop on the West Coast, and is now the owner of a Super Bowl ring courtesy the Rams victory this past year.
Speaking of the West Coast, another LB from that team comes to mind. Of course I’m talking about Khalil Mack, who will be suiting up for the Chargers this year after the Bears traded him for a bag of chips… unreal. Talk about an absolute beast. Sure, he too was hurt last year; he too was always looked at when the Bears didn’t do well… when his numbers didn’t match up to our expectations. Yet, if we take a step back, and realize that the opposing offense had to plan for 2 guys to account for him most of the game, was it really Khalil’s fault when the D didn’t play well? Still can’t believe we didn’t get crap for him; great get by the Chargers… I wish him well. Then there was Danny T at the other LB spot. Dude was solid that year, and pretty quickly declined after that. Currently a free agent, he may be done.
The starting secondary that year was Kyle Fuller, Prince, Amos, and Eddie Jackson; only one of them remains. Prince was getting up there; I understood that one. Letting Kyle walk was a mistake, no doubt. Amos has played well in his new home up north, while we still get to watch handsomely paid Eddie Jackson put on a tackling clinic every game. But back in 2018… this unit was really solid; Eddie Jackson was crazy good that year. In fact, when he got hurt at the end of that Packers game I mentioned above, I cringed; I knew we would feel that.
Of course there is one other main guy from that 2018 D that is still around, and that is Roquan. Let’s hope he never has that “ex-Bear” tag. There has been talks of the Bears making him a very rich man; I’m hoping to see that news soon. I think he is one of the most underrated LBs in the NFL; dude flies around the field. With him in the middle of that defense, I still have hope; he’s a great guy to build around. Now I’m thinking about next year… Bear Down!
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