Bears add former Chargers linebacker Amen Ogbongbemiga |
In what could go down as the most exciting first wave of Free Agency in quite some time, the Bears have quieted down as they haven't done much. Sure, they extended Jaylon Johnson and then went on to grab D'Andre Swift and Kevin Byard, but outside of adding Gerald Everett the other day, things are moving along much slower than most expected.
When you look at the position that the Bears are in, not only do they have two of the top 10 picks in the draft, but they also have plenty of financial flexibility, which should help this team spend big. Spending money on Swift and Johnson was a great move, but take those moves away, and the Bears have been focusing more on the depth side of things. Teams always need to add depth, but typically, most teams address that during the second and third waves of free agency, not the first. Leave it to the Bears to do something different, as Ryan Poles has added four depth pieces in the last week, three of them coming on Wednesday. The latest addition is former Chargers LB and ST specialist Amen Ogbongbemiga, who will call the Windy City home next year. Another depth piece, Ogbongbemiga, will cost less, as he will make $2.1 million for one season. There is a chance he could make upwards of three million in total incentives, but even at that, this pickup won't break the break, so it does make sense to see it happen. A linebacker first, Ogbongbemiga has been one of the best special teamers in the game the past few seasons, which the Bears hope can continue with them. The 25-year-old has three years of experience, all of which have come in a Chargers uniform. Throughout his career, the Nigerian has seen the field a lot, as he played 932 snaps on special teams and 129 on defense. However, he is starting to get more time on the defensive side, as 110 of his 129 snaps came during the 2021 season. Since then, Ogbongbemiga has played just 19 defensive snaps over 32 games. Despite less time on defense, he has seen his special teams numbers increase from 77% in 2022 to 80% this season. The Bears looked at that when signing him, as he will give them a special teams playmaker. Unless you are a kicker, a special teams signing isn't typically worth talking about. However, this move further shows that special teams coach Richard Hightower is looking to revamp his special teams room, as that didn't grade out very well a season ago. Despite going from 24th in 2022 to 22nd in 2023, the Bears are taking steps in the right direction, but more work needs to be done. With guys like TJ Edwards, Jack Sanborn, Tremaine Edmunds, and Noah Sewall among the guys who Ogbongbemiga must pass up to see playing time. Special teams seem like his role for now but look for him to battle for some linebacker snaps. If anything, the competition he sees daily at practice should be good enough for him to play at a level that no one has seen at this point in his career.
