Chicago Bears: Robert Quinn will thrive playing opposite Khalil Mack

The Chicago Bears offseason has been met with a mixed reaction but the addition of Robert Quinn could have a major impact on the defense.

When the announcements came in as to who the Chicago Bears would be bringing into the City of Broad Shoulders during the circus that is the NFL offseason, they were met with more skepticism than celebration.

A lot of this had to do with the lack of a “splash” signing. The Bears didn’t go out and break the bank for the biggest fish available in the sea. The signings they did make included former first-round picks that haven’t exactly lived up to their draft slot like tackle Germain Ifedi, cornerback Artie Burns and pass rusher Barkevious Mingo.

These types of low-risk, high-reward signings looking for second chances in the NFL won’t exactly move the needle on the hype meter. Elsewhere the Bears made moves that were the opposite of positive hype. They made some big money signings that were more high-risk, high-reward moves.

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These players are ones who were once great but are now seen as past their prime like tight end Jimmy Graham and pass-rusher Robert Quinn. The Nick Foles trade is definitely the one that caused a bit of a splash but is a whole other story altogether. Let’s go back to the Quinn signing though.

Quinn has had something of a roller-coaster career. He recorded double-digit sacks in three straight seasons 2-4 in the league as a member of the then St. Louis Rams, including two Pro Bowl trips and First-Team All-Pro nod in 2014 as he recorded 19.0 sacks. However, he didn’t record double-digit sacks again until last season.

While with the Cowboys in 2019, Quinn was brought in to be the complement to Demarcus Lawrence. Statistically, though, Quinn ended up taking the alpha role, recording 11.5 sacks in Big D while Lawrence only managed to muster up five — though the latter saw more focus from offensive schemes. This is what should make his future with the Bears that much more fruitful.

With the Bears, Quinn will be replacing underachieving former top-10 pick Leonard Floyd. He will also be the pass-rushing complement that should pair perfectly with Khalil Mack.

Simply put, Mack is an all-world edge defender. He can disrupt an entire offense on his own with his rushing ability. However, when it comes to pass-rushers, having an elite player paired with a good-to-great one often sets a defense up for the highest level of success.

One can look at Von Miller and DeMarcus Ware when they won a Super Bowl with the Denver Broncos or Reggie White and Clyde Simmons when playing for Buddy Ryan’s Eagles as examples. Now, while this is not to say that Quinn is comparable to any of the names above, he has shown flashes of brilliance in his career. Mack, meanwhile, is certainly worthy of the company of the names.

Quinn is stepping into a unit where he can plug and play with aplomb. Not only is he part of a veteran edge tandem but he’s joining defensive tackle Akiem Hicks, talented linebackers in Roquan Smith and Danny Trevathan, and even the duo of Kyle Fuller and Eddie Jackson in the secondary.

Leading up to the 2020 NFL Draft, some of the Bears signings may have gone over extremely poorly with some fans. However, the signing of Robert Quinn can be looked at as one of the offseason’s best in terms of effectiveness — meaning money aside — as he plays alongside Mack and the rest of the potential new “Monsters of the Midway”.