Chicago Bears: 5 Edge rushers to target in 2020 NFL free agency
Mario Addison, Carolina Panthers (6-3, 260 pounds)
The Carolina Panthers and tight end Greg Olsen agreed to part ways recently. Many Chicago Bears fans (and Olsen himself) expected the Bears front office to pounce and try to have a reunion with the tight end they drafted back in the first round of the 2007 draft (31st overall).
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Well, there could be a reunion with a former Bear but it likely isn’t with Olsen. Mario Addison signed with the Chicago Bears as an undrafted rookie free agent back in 2011. He played in only four games for the Bears that season.
Addison struggled to get playing time in his first two seasons. He played for four teams (Bears, Indianapolis, Washington, and Carolina) in those seasons, but stuck with Carolina and has had a good career. In his eight seasons with the Panthers, he recorded 207 tackles (49 tackles for loss), 97 quarterback hits, 55 sacks, and 11 forced fumbles. In 2019, he recorded 34 tackles and 9.5 sacks to go along with 2 forced fumbles.
There are a lot of changes happening at Carolina and, at age 32, Addison probably isn’t in the team’s future. He could help the Bears, however. If they sign Addison, it doesn’t prohibit them from still going after an edge rusher in the draft.
The backup outside linebacker, Aaron Lynch, is also set to become a free agent and I don’t believe the Bears bring him up. They can have the prospect and Addison fight for the starting job and the loser becomes a backup who still gets to play quite a few snaps. That gives the unit very good depth.