Chicago Bears position battles: Strong side linebacker

We continue our series at the different position battles on the Chicago Bears roster. Next up we look at the starting strong side linebacker spot.

As the Bears continue to go through OTAs, we look at some of the position battles going on. These battles start now and most continue until after the last preseason game.

Chicago Bears strong side linebacker competition in 2023

We already looked at the cornerbacks, running backs, and centers. Next up, we look at the starting strong-side linebacker spot.

With the Bears finishing a 3-14 2022 season, there are certainly many positions open. General manager Ryan Poles did an excellent job of overhauling the roster. He added a lot more talent than was on the roster in 2022. We will see if the players are the right ones to build a contender, but in any case, the team will have a ton more talent and depth.

One area in which Poles did a complete overhaul was at linebacker. The change began last season when he traded Roquan Smith for draft picks. That left a big hole in the defense.

In this defense, the linebackers are important. If the defensive line does its job, the linebackers will be making a lot of big plays. They have to be ready at all times to make plays both against the run and pass. They need talented players who are athletic and flexible to do a number of things for the defense.

Poles signed free agents Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, two of the top-performing linebackers last season. That will greatly improve the linebacker unit.

Now there is a question about the strong-side linebacker.

There are two candidates who might have been overlooked but are now trying to step up and show how much they were underrated.

Here are the two players projected to battle for that job.