By: Jake Rajala

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers weren’t ruled with an iron fist by Tom Brady in their victory against the New Orleans Saints in Week 2. The Bucs pass rush was the key reason why they defeated their old pal, Jameis Winston, and a Saints team that had a 4-0 record against TB12 in a Buccaneers uniform in the regular season. The Bucs were able to register an unearhtly six sacks against the Saints QB Jameis Winston.

The Buccaneers pass rush was led by none other than Shaquil Barrett in Week 2. Shaq Attack, who once had 19.5 sacks in a single season, had two sacks against Winston. Devin White, Vita Vea, Joe Tryon, Lavonte David, and Antoine Winfield also contributed sacks on the former Bucs QB.

It’s important to note that the Bucs pass rush was the second biggest reason why they were able to win Super Bowl LV. In their mighty show-down against Patrick Mahomes, the Bucs were able to unleash three sacks & an incredible nine QB hits on Patrick Mahomes. They have a slightly different front seven from their Super Bowl-winning squad — as they moved on from Ndamukong Suh and brought in Akiem Hicks.

Of course, Todd Bowles will anticipate magic and a potential MVP season from Brady, but the Bucs absolutely need their front seven to unleash hell against opposing QBs if they want to win another Lombardi trophy with the GOAT. Hopefully, they can also have a healthy Akiem Hicks (who didn’t return against the Saints) back in the line-up soon.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have numerous defensive linemen that could audition for the next role as the Juggernaut in X-Men. They have the behemoth (6’4, 350) Vita Vea, who made his first Pro Bowl last season. Vea earned a hefty contract – as he signed a four-year extension worth $71 million dollars last January. The Bucs also brought in the former Chicago Bear Akiem Hicks on a one-year deal worth $10 million dollars – as he has recorded 7 sacks, 30 QB hits, 12 TFLs, and 74 combined tackles over the past 24 games. Hicks garnered a 72.3 grade by PFF last season.

They don’t appear to be reuniting with the fearless Ndamukong Suh, but they certainly have a very strong IDL in spite of his presence. Per Vikings Wire, the Vikings are in the mix for his services.

William Gholston will also be a well-rounded DL for the Bucs in his 10th season. Gholston had 4.5 sacks (career-high), 11 QB hits, 7 TFLs, and 36 combined tackles last season. The veteran DE that is one of the most underrated players on the team re-signed a one-year contract with the Bucs this off-season.

The reigning NFC South Champions also will expect Rakeem Nunez-Roches and Deadrin Senat to be productive in their limited snaps. Nunez-Roches ousted 17 combined tackles, 3 TFLs, in 2021. Senat was on the Falcons/Dark Side from 2018 to 2020 – and he registered 34 combined tackles. He will be a pleasant depth piece moving forward. The Bucs will also have OLB/DE Shaq Barrett (18 sacks in the past two seasons combined) and the second-year Joe Tryon, who should have a breakout season.

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By: Jake Rajala

The New York Giants finished 4-13 last season, but the Joe Judge-less Giants aim to not get left behind in an ascending NFC East division moving forward. With that said, I’m going to simply untwine three free agents that would be sneaky good additions to the GMEN.

Trae Waynes

The Giants have the third-round CB Cordale Flott starting and I believe it would be wise to allow a veteran to show him the ropes to kick-off 2022. Trae Waynes would be a perfect value pick-up for the Giants and it may seem like Joe Haden will return to Cleveland or sign with a different contender. Wayne isn’t quite burnt toast and he could be a modest CB2 or CB3 late in the season.

Jimmy Smith

Smith may be an upgrade over the Giants rookie in man-to-man situations and he could be a cheap signing at this stage. The former Super Bowl champion that may be the best CB to not make a Pro Bowl (and may have wrongly prevented a Michael Crabtree touchdown) could be a nice veteran presence for the Giants secondary, as well. Smith is a year younger than Sherman and he will likely hang up his cleats after 2022 (or potentially before).

Akiem Hicks

If the Giants want to get creative and have a splash signing, I’d love to see Akiem Hicks at the top of the Giants wishlist. Hicks, Kavyon Thibodeaux, and Leonard Williams would really keep opposing offensive coordinators up at night. Hicks has 7 sacks and 30 QB hits in the past 24 games. He could help Thibodeaux have excellent one-on-one match-ups.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Chicago Bears will strive to unveil a better record than 6-11 in the Matt Nagy-less era. Well, it appears the Bears have confidence in their new direction and titan-like NFL critics have expressed their praise for CHI. The Cowboys legend Troy Aikman is one of the NFL legends that has shown bliss for Fields and his crew. Per Chicago Tribune, Aikman stated, “there is no doubt in my mind that he can do that”.

Aikman elaborated on the change in playing calling and how Matt Eberflus could be the spark for the Bears offense. He outlined that Norv Tuner completely changed his Cowboys offense. Although, he did mention that the change of scenery can’t be the sole reason why it completely changes.

It may seem like the Bears exhibit a young QB, so it’s easy for NFL analysts to pick the Bears as an easy team write-off. Nonetheless, the NFL world witnessed the Cincinnati Bengals surprise the world on the back of a “Joe Burrow and Ja’Marr Chase” connection. The Bengals were arguably the worst pass protection unit and they display the 26th pass defense (passing YPG allowed). Yet, the Bengals edged out the KC Chiefs twice in 2021 and scored a seat in the Super Bowl.

The Bears will surely look to benefit from Fields dual-threat ability and deep-arm passing ability with Darnell Mooney and the rookie Velus Jones Jr. On the defensive side of things, it will honestly be a challenge to replace the production of Khalil Mack. It honestly appears the Bears are looking to ship out the other aging pass rusher Quin, as well. Expect growing pains from the Bears defense, but they should lean on Roquan Smith, Eddie Jackson, and potentially even Quinn to be play-makers on defense.

On the horizon, the Bears will look to build on their new energy, learn to get new faces like Velus Jones Jr. involved, and perhaps they will add talent to the FA pool. It may be wise for CHI to reunite with Akiem Hicks.

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By: Jake Rajala

The Cincinnati Bengals are an AFC juggernaut with the fifth-most cap space in the NFL. Zac Taylor could utilize his creative juices in May by inking one of the shiny free agents available. The Bengals could still benefit from the arrival of a cornerback or even another underrated offensive weapon. With that said, I’m going to untwine a few FA profiles that would be superb fits for Cincy.

• Joe Haden

The Bengals young head coach shouldn’t let the Dolphins HC Mike McDaniel sign every quality FA on the planet or allow Joe Haden to reunite with the Browns. The Bengals might have an overly impressive WR trio (Ja’Marr Chase, Tyler Boyd, and Tee Higgins), but they ought to boost their pass defense. I firmly believe that Eli Apple is underrated (to say the least), but Haden would be an upgrade over Apple and a fine partner to Chidobe Awuzie, who was named to PFF’s All-Pro team.

• Akiem Hicks

The explosive big fella Akiem Hicks can terrorize opposing signal-callers next to Trey Hendrickson and B.J. Hill. Hicks is still a talented DL and he showed that in nine games last season (3.5 sacks and 9 QB hits). Hicks would really help the Bengals pass rush against Josh Allen, Patrick Mahomes, and other top-notch AFC QBs.

• Ndamukong Suh

I believe the Bengals would make a lot of sense for the fearless defender Ndamukong Suh. The Super Bowl-winning DE/DT can have a strong chance to win his second SB ring with the Bengals. The former Lions DL that has only missed two games in his career would be more affordable than a FA like Jadeveon Clowney for the Bengals, too.

• Jimmy Graham

I will be honest – Jimmy Graham is a bit washed up. I still believe he can be a mismatch for opposing defenses and he could be a nice TE2 behind Hayden Hurst. The TE with 11 touchdowns in the past two seasons combined could be a sneaky weapon for Joe Burrow in big-time showdowns.

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The NFL free agency pool is still quite impressive at this stage in mid-April. There are shiny and risky profiles like Jadeveon Clowney and OBJ, but there are also many under-the-radar players that can aid NFL rosters right now. With that enunciated, I’m going to outline many available free agents that could be excellent value signings.

Akiem Hicks

The former Chicago Bears DT Akiem Hicks has been a stout interior DT over the past several seasons. In nine games last season, Hicks had 3.5 sacks, five tackles for loss, and nine QB hits. He still has gas left in the tank at 32 years old and he’s ready to be a force with a new team. It’s been noted that Allen Robinson is recruiting him to the Rams, so he may head to play with Sean McVay’s dream team in LA.

Landon Collins

The thumper Landon Collins can be a versatile addition to any NFL team next season. Collins recorded three sacks, 7 TFLs, 2 interceptions, and 81 combined tackles in 2021. He may not be the same player that he was in 2016 (All-Pro), but he can be excellent in the right scheme. Perhaps Collins could replace the in-the-box safety Malcolm Jenkins in the Big Easy.

Phillip Lindsay

Phillip Lindsay had a special welcome to the NFL as an undrafted free agent and he’s a gifted athlete. I believe Phillip Lindsay could have a resurgence out of the Houston area and behind a strong OL. He had two 1,000-yard seasons (2018, 2019) and he was on pace for another 1,000+ yard season in 2020. He may be a sharp addition to his familiar team in Denver, or he could be a fine RB addition to Dallas with Zeke and Tony Pollard.

Janoris Jenkins

I still believe Janoris “Jackrabbit” Jenkins can be a starting CB in this league. Jackrabbit isn’t washed up yet, as he was a strong CB for the AFC 1 seed in Tennessee last season. Jackrabbit also had three interceptions (including a pick-6 against Tom Brady), and 54 combined tackles in 2020. Jenkins may want to head to a championship contender that could use his presence.

John Ross

The former Cincinnati Bengals first-round draft pick John Ross may have peaked with his 4.22 40-yard dash, but the 26-year-old could still be a dangerous addition to many teams. Ross unveiled 506 yards with the Bengals in 2019, but he wasn’t able to improve from his 2019 performance. Cordarralle Patterson was a bit of a late bloomer and Ross could be the next explosive skill player to oust career numbers with his new team.

Anthony Barr

It’s hard to tell a diverse defender to come off the field and Anthony Barr is definitely a LB that can make plays in many spots. Barr had 2.5 sacks, 6 QB hits, three interceptions (career-high) and 72 combined tackles in 2021. Barr is really an underrated LB right now and he could be a perfect fit with the team in New England.

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By: Dylan Clemons

The Chicago Bears are best known to be a defensive-minded football team. Ever since their 1985 super bowl team that some say is the best defense of all time. Times haven’t changed now, the defense is still the heart and soul of this team. Matt Nagy came to the Bears as an offensive-minded head coach, but it has been his defense that has carried him his three seasons. In his three seasons as head coach the Bears defense has ranked, 1st, 4th, and 14th in points allowed.

The Bears defense has definitely taken a step back from being the best defense in football in 2018. But still have a solid group, that hopes to return as a top-ten defense once again. The first thing that new defensive coordinator Sean Desai needs to address is trying to find a way to create more turnovers. The Bears ranked 26th in the NFL in takeaways last season with only 18. That’s a far cry from 2018 when they led the league in takeaways with 36.

Sean Desai has been with the organization since 2013 and has worked his way up through the ranks. after spending the last two seasons as the safeties coach, he has been promoted this off-season to replace Chuck Pagano who retired. Now let’s jump into three of his key players who I believe are the most important for the Bears defense to succeed.

The Bears Need Eddie Jackson To Return To Pro Bowl Form

Eddie Jackson, Safety

Eddie Jackson is probably the most impressive draft pick by GM Ryan Pace. Jackson slid in the 2017 draft and the Bears were able to take him in the fourth round after breaking his leg in his final college season. The year Jackson really made his name in the NFL was in 2018, when he made his first Pro Bowl appearance. That season he returned two interceptions for touchdowns and a fumble recovery for a touchdown. He was the definition of a big play waiting to happen on defense.

Unfortunately the last two seasons Jackson has regressed. I don’t believe that all has to do with him as a player, I think it had a lot to do with how Chuck Pagano was using Jackson. Pagano coached a much less aggressive defense than Vic Fangio did when Jackson thrived. I feel with Desai being Jackson’s safety coach for the last few seasons, he will know where to put Jackson on the field where he and the team will have the most success.

The Bears secondary is looking a little different nowadays after the departure of Kyle Fuller, a lot younger in fact. So the secondary will look to Eddie Jackson for that veteran support, and I believe he will deliver this season. There has also been talking this off-season that Jackson might play some at the slot corner position, with the Bears being thin at that position. If Desai believes that will put Jackson in the best possible spot to make plays, I’m all for it.

Jaylon Johnson, Cornerback

There is a ton of pressure on second-year cornerback Jaylon Johnson, who also struggled to stay healthy only playing in 13 games due to a shoulder injury. But when Johnson was on the field, he was very solid. According to PFF Johnson ranked 6th in incompletion rate at 21%. Johnson will come into this season as the number one cornerback on the roster after Kyle Fuller was released to create some cap relief.

Johnson showed flashes of already being a solid corner. Last season he had 16 pass breakups, which ranked 16th in the NFL. He also had the 13th best catch rate allowed in the NFL as well, very solid numbers from a rookie who was being asked a lot in this defense. This season he will be asked to do, even more, having to try and lock up some of the best wide receivers in the NFL.

Like I stated above in the Eddie Jackson part of the article, the Bears cornerback position besides veteran Desmond Trufant is very young. Trufant has also struggled to stay healthy during the latter part of his career. So the Bears need Johnson to provide stability on the outside. If he can’t the Bears will be relying on inexperienced cornerbacks like Kindle Vildor and Duke Shelly.

Akiem Hicks, Eddie Goldman, Defensive Line

So I had to cheat a little bit, it felt criminal to not put both of the guys on this list. Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman are the two most important players on this defense in my opinion. When these two are on the field together teams have a real big problem trying to run the football.

In 2018 when they were both healthy the Bears ranked 1st in the NFL in rushing yards allowed. Then in 2019, Akiem Hicks played in only five games, and the Bears fell to 9th in the league in rushing, which is still very solid. But then last season rolled around Goldman opted out due to covid-19 health concerns. In 2020 the bears rushing defense fell all the way to 15th with only Hicks in the Lineup. That goes to show how important Goldman is to this defense as a whole.

In my opinion, in order for this defense to become elite again, it all starts upfront with these guys. if the Bears can stop the run like they did in 2018-2019, sky is the limit for this defense once again. If the Bears can stop the run, it puts teams in long 3rd down opportunities. That is good news for superstar linebacker Khalil Mack, whose specialty is to rush the passer. This could set up Mack to have a bounce back after having two subpar seasons where he failed to record double-digit sacks. If all goes well, we could see the Bears defense get back to a top ten defense this season.

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A few short months ago I was writing articles about general manager Ryan Pace and head coach Matt Nagy’s impending firings, so I understand as well as anyone that a Chicago Bears Super Bowl run sounds a bit farfetched right now, but NFL franchises often flip the script overnight in this league and it can all start with one move.

Now I know I just finished saying that Chicago’s chances aren’t reliant on Fields’ immediate stardom, and they’re not, but his potential as a generational quarterback talent is certainly the conductor of the hype train.

Truth is, I have been against this regime for quite some time. The trade up for the unproven Mitchell Trubisky, the horrid playcalling by Nagy that seemed to stunt the growth of not only Trubisky but running back David Montgomery, the indecision at QB and the miserable ideas to bring in Nick Foles and Andy Dalton as “saviors” when every NFL fan under the sun knows that these veterans are no more than underwhelming game managers. Yes, I know Foles won a Super Bowl, but that Philadelphia Eagles roster was built like a tank and this Bears one is not.

It’s been a tough road for Bears fans ever since Vic Fangio’s defense (led by Khalil Mack) shattered expectations in 2018. Not tough like 1-15 record tough, but more “what could have been” tough. The knowledge that your putrid offense is holding back and possibly wasting a championship caliber defense is difficult to stomach (especially when you traded a ton of your future draft capital for the catalyst of that unit in Mack).

This defense has a window, and that window is closing fast. Mack is under contract till 2025, but his cap hit is exorbitant after 2021 (unless Chicago takes the potential out next offseason at a $24 million dollar hit). That 2018 group has already seen losses like Fangio (DC), Kyle Fuller (CB1), Adrian Amos (S), Prince Amukamara (CB2, age caught up fast here), Bryce Callahan (slot), Leonard Floyd (edge) and more. Mack’s departure could be the final nail in the coffin, sealing that window for good.

The emergence of a unique prospect like Fields at QB gives Chicago a shot in 2021, but there are a few other factors that have a Jets fan like me all aboard the Bears bandwagon.

1. NFC in Decline

With Drew Brees retiring, the NFC East in total dissarray, Aaron Rodgers wanting out of Green Bay, and the NFC West all beating up on eachother, there aren’t many Super Bowl favorites in the NFC outside of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

In what has become a conference shift in strength, we now see a lot of the bright young quarterbacks in the AFC (Patrick Mahomes, Josh Allen, Lamar Jackson, Joe Burrow, Justin Herbert, Baker Mayfield and Deshaun Watson should he return to Houston) while the NFC is left wanting.

An Aaron Rodgers trade to a franchise like the Denver Broncos could totally blow the doors off this conversation. Not only that, it would leave a gaping hole in the NFC North with the Detroit Lions rebuilding and the Minnesota Vikings as a playoff bubble team at best. The Green Bay Packers are one of the NFC’s (and Bears’) strongest competitors left, and if there’s any truth to the rumors, that Cheesehead locomotive may have already flown off the tracks.

2. Phenomenal ’21 Draft

We all know about the Justin Fields selection, but the Bears 2021 draft went much further than that. Pace was drafting like his job was on the line and he answered the bell with some really solid picks.

Just after trading up to get the franchise QB, Pace was able to nab the left tackle to pair with him for years to come, in Teven Jenkins. Many thought the Oklahoma State Cowboys 6’6″ tackle would go in the first, but he slipped to day two and the Bears did not hesitate. Later on he bulked the offensive line again, drafting upside guard prospect Larry Borom out of Missouri.

One trouble area may be cornerback with Fuller gone, but sixth rounder Thomas Graham Jr. had sleeper grades from many analysts out of Oregon. The former Duck could help fill the void, but Chicago will also need something from 2020 second rounder Jaylon Johnson (just turned 22 in April), and free agent flier Desmond Trufant.

3. Key Vets Returning After 2020 Season

I wasn’t particularly high on the 2020 Bears defense, in part because I knew the offense would struggle, but also because some instrumental pieces were missing.

One major cog to account for was nose tackle Eddie Goldman, a 2020 COVID opt-out. Goldman had 40-plus tackles in 2017 and ’18 as one of the premier run-stuffers in the game. 2021 is only his age-27 season, so Chicago will count on the DT to return with avengeance after a year on the pine.

Alongside Akiem Hicks, Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn, this unit is still very formidable up front. The linebacker core also flaunts Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan in the middle, with free safety Eddie Jackson over the top. LB Christian Jones joins this crew, and they’ll also look to re-sign or replace strong safety Tash Gipson before preseason begins. Gipson started all 16 games with the Bears a season ago, and is currently an unrestricted free agent.

Let’s not forget the offensive side of the ball, as Pace held onto wide receiver Allen Robinson for dear life. New faces like Damien Williams, Damiere Byrd, Dazz Newsome, Khalil Herbert and Marquise Goodwin add some versatility to a group that needs to get more creative behind Fields and Nagy.

This defense may be slightly diminished from 2018, but it’s still pretty darn good, and this offense could theoretically become much more dynamic with a quarterback like Fields at the helm. Am I slightly worried that Nagy may just be a terrible coach? Absolutely. This is a make or break season for the HC though, so I expect him to pull out all the stops.

At the very least, I see the Bears as a playoff team again in 2021, but at +4800 odds right now on FanDuel Sportsbook, Chicago may just be the biggest sleeper pick to win Super Bowl LVI.

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