One of the biggest needs the Chicago Bears must fill this offseason is at pass rusher. The NFL Draft offers several intriguing prospects at the top of Round 1, but the best option for general manager Ryan Pace will come from within his own division.
Lions DE Ezekiel Ansah is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, and while there’s a strong chance Detroit will slap the franchise tag on him, Pace has to make a strong run at the double-digit sack artist if he’s allowed to test the open market.
Ansah finished 2017 with 12 sacks in only 14 games. Six of those sacks came over the final two weeks of the season. He earned an 80.1 grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranks near his best season score issued by PFF in his career (81.9 in 2014).
He’s totaled 44 sacks in five seasons.
Ansah comes with a bit of risk. He’s missed five games over the last two years due to injury and had only two sacks in 2016.
Still, it’s rare that a player with Ansah’s skill set ever becomes available.
The Bears have plenty of money to spend in this year’s free-agent market, and Ansah will command top dollar. According to Spotrac.com, Ansah’s market value hovers around $10 million per season. His eventual contract is likely to come closer to Akiem Hicks’ $12 million per year, if not more.
It will cost the Lions $18 million to place the franchise tag on him.
A defensive line made up of Ansah, Hicks and Eddie Goldman would give opposing offenses nightmares. Literally.
In a division with Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and the suddenly elite Case Keenum, the Bears can never have too much talent along their defensive front. Ansah would be a monster addition to a defense that’s closing in on one of the premier groups in the NFL
Would I love to add him to our D? Sure! Hell yes!! Especially since neither RRH or Bullard had the "breakouts" they were touted in training camp as showing signs of.
Few cautionary notes, though. As I've said a million times, its pretty uncommon for quality, starting caliber edge rushers to reach the open market. Not impossible, not "never", but simply RARE as the article also states. It's also unlikely that Ansah will make it there as the article also states. And finally, even if he somehow does, ZA is a 4-3 DL-man not a 3-4 OLB if I recall correctly and it's at OLB where we are particularly thin. Can he play 3-4 OLB? Or even 3-4 DE?
I don't know, I'm asking. If he can, then yes Pace should take a hard look at him IF he does indeed reach the open market.
One thing that keeps getting brought up(kept since Vic is back) is that the Bears were rarely in their 3-4 base package. There were a lot of sub packages, 70% of the time I think I heard, which they(670 and the people they were talking to about it) seemed to infur was at least part of the time was a 4-3. So even if he wouldn't be great as an OLB, he might spend more time as a 4-3 DE regardless.
Thats a good point. I guess it depends on what he's asking for. He'll be 29 this upcoming season. I'd rather have DeMarcus Lawerence if I had a choice...but we'll see what shakes out.
I agree, especially since Lawrence is only 25 while Ansah is 29. I don't know how tight Dallas is against the cap. I suspect they're probably OK since they have their QB on a cheap 4th round rookie contract.
One of the biggest needs the Chicago Bears must fill this offseason is at pass rusher. The NFL Draft offers several intriguing prospects at the top of Round 1, but the best option for general manager Ryan Pace will come from within his own division.
Lions DE Ezekiel Ansah is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent, and while there’s a strong chance Detroit will slap the franchise tag on him, Pace has to make a strong run at the double-digit sack artist if he’s allowed to test the open market.
Ansah finished 2017 with 12 sacks in only 14 games. Six of those sacks came over the final two weeks of the season. He earned an 80.1 grade from Pro Football Focus, which ranks near his best season score issued by PFF in his career (81.9 in 2014).
He’s totaled 44 sacks in five seasons.
Ansah comes with a bit of risk. He’s missed five games over the last two years due to injury and had only two sacks in 2016.
Still, it’s rare that a player with Ansah’s skill set ever becomes available.
The Bears have plenty of money to spend in this year’s free-agent market, and Ansah will command top dollar. According to Spotrac.com, Ansah’s market value hovers around $10 million per season. His eventual contract is likely to come closer to Akiem Hicks’ $12 million per year, if not more.
It will cost the Lions $18 million to place the franchise tag on him.
A defensive line made up of Ansah, Hicks and Eddie Goldman would give opposing offenses nightmares. Literally.
In a division with Aaron Rodgers, Matthew Stafford and the suddenly elite Case Keenum, the Bears can never have too much talent along their defensive front. Ansah would be a monster addition to a defense that’s closing in on one of the premier groups in the NFL
Would I love to add him to our D? Sure! Hell yes!! Especially since neither RRH or Bullard had the "breakouts" they were touted in training camp as showing signs of.
Few cautionary notes, though. As I've said a million times, its pretty uncommon for quality, starting caliber edge rushers to reach the open market. Not impossible, not "never", but simply RARE as the article also states. It's also unlikely that Ansah will make it there as the article also states. And finally, even if he somehow does, ZA is a 4-3 DL-man not a 3-4 OLB if I recall correctly and it's at OLB where we are particularly thin. Can he play 3-4 OLB? Or even 3-4 DE?
I don't know, I'm asking. If he can, then yes Pace should take a hard look at him IF he does indeed reach the open market.
I agree that neither had a "breakout" season. But RRH ended up appearing in 13 games at the end of the season and ended up with 9.5 tackles and 2 sacks. I thought he was playing better as he got more playing time. Bullard as about as productive with 22 tackles, 1 sack and 1 FF in 16 games.
While neither played consistently I thought both showed flashes. I think RRH may have the higher upside. Especially considering he was a UFA had a little less than half the snaps (212) that Bullard (438) had. For comparison, Mitch Unrein appeared in 12 games had a snap count of 389 and had 27.5 tackles and 1.5 sacks.
I am combining tackles and assists with an assist counting as .5 of a solo.
I'd be interested in hearing what Vic and his staff think about both.
Need to also remember that the 3-4 DL isn't really expected to get pressure/sacks for Vic as much as they are suppose to stack blocks. Anything they get is just kind of a bonus. It's why they kept Unrien and let Corny walk to Det.
I'm positive he'd be just fine as a rush LB. He is 100% my top FA target for us.
As I recall you were hot to draft him back in 2013.
Yup, and I was pissed that he went to Detoilet of all places. As for his age, he's a young 29 as he never put the stresses of football on his body until he was 20. I can easily see him as a guy who peaks after 30 as his savvy has finally matched his athleticism.
Thats a good point. I guess it depends on what he's asking for. He'll be 29 this upcoming season. I'd rather have DeMarcus Lawerence if I had a choice...but we'll see what shakes out.
I agree, especially since Lawrence is only 25 while Ansah is 29. I don't know how tight Dallas is against the cap. I suspect they're probably OK since they have their QB on a cheap 4th round rookie contract.
Can't deny that would not be a nice move too. At 24 Ziggy was one of the older rookies in his class but he's only played 5 full seasons. He should have at least 3-4 more good ones left in him.
Since the deals these guys are getting are essentially guaranteeing only about 3 years of any deal anyway I may be less sensitive about a players age than I once was. Plus their conditioning is so much better now and even their ability to recover from some injuries.
Even after having two major knee injuries at age 30 Lamarr Houston had 4 sacks and 10 tkls in 5 games as a rotation guy. At age 29 McPhee had only 4 sacks and 21 tkls in 13 games. If we need to keep one or the other who appears to be the better bargain?
I'd like to see them bring Houston back for far less than he was getting and if we could sign either Lawrence or Ansah I'd be very happy with that and finding another young pass rusher in the draft. I gotta think both McPhee and Willie Young may have played their last games here. Willie maybe not but McPhee is getting unaffordable.
As I recall you were hot to draft him back in 2013.
Yup, and I was pissed that he went to Detoilet of all places. As for his age, he's a young 29 as he never put the stresses of football on his body until he was 20. I can easily see him as a guy who peaks after 30 as his savvy has finally matched his athleticism.
