Chicago Bears: 5 Key players for a successful 2019 season

Leonard Floyd, Linebacker

The Khalil Mack trade worked wonders not only on the defense but also on the team. He was the piece that put the entire team together. When looking into the Chicago Bears of 2018 and for at least the next half-decade or so the narrative will be “before Mack” and “after Mack.”

This season, opposing defenses will try to limit Mack’s success. He’ll face more double and even triple teams to keep him away from the quarterback. It is incumbent, then on the guy playing the opposite side to wreak havoc. That guy is Leonard Floyd.

Floyd was the Chicago Bears’ first-round pick (ninth overall) in the 2016 NFL Draft. He is an athletic freak, with speed, quickness, length, and ability to cover make him a rarity. Bears linebackers coach Ted Monachino thinks Floyd is a special player. With all his abilities, Monachino believes Floyd can overtake Mack as the Bears’ best pass rusher, per Pro Football Talk.

"This is a rare athlete playing the position. There’s a whole bunch of guys that are great hammers and guys that have the pass-rush gene that have that dominant trait. This is a rare athlete for the position. I’ve coached a bunch of good ones. I’ve coached big ones, I’ve coached smart ones, I’ve coached fast ones. I’ve never coached an athlete like this. … His length. His short-area quickness. Long speed. The ability to cover and change direction. All of those things are very special with this player."

While Floyd has all those tools, he hasn’t lived up to expectations. He gave everyone hope when he recorded seven sacks in 12 games. He has only 8.5 sacks in the two seasons since.

Injuries had a lot to do with that. In his first two seasons, he missed 10 games. He finally played a full season in 2018 but he had mixed results. Former defensive coordinator Vic Fangio had a penchant for dropping Floyd back in coverage too many times. After Fangio’s departure, the Bears hired Chuck Pagano to coach the defense. He has a more aggressive approach to defense so perhaps Floyd gets a better chance to show his pass rush prowess.

Floyd needs to break out in 2019, both for him and the Bears defense. With more attention paid to Mack, he’ll face more one-on-one situations, and he needs to shine. If he does, it makes the Chicago Bears defense scarier than last season. Also, Floyd is playing for his second contract. The Bears have a number of players they need to consider re-signing and Floyd hopes he’s one of the players with the opportunity to continue playing in this defense.