A source told ESPN’s Adam Schefter that the Chicago Bears are offering Buffalo Bills free agent linebacker Tremaine Edmonds a four-year, $72 million contract that includes $50 million guaranteed.
It is the largest four-year contract for an inside linebacker in the NFL.
Edmonds is the second starting linebacker added by the Bears on Monday. Earlier in the day, the Bears agreed to a three-year contract worth $19.5 million with Philadelphia Eagles free-agent TJ Edwards, which included $12 million in guaranteed money, a source told ESPN’s Courtney Cronin.
The Bears made a move to strengthen their offensive line, agreeing to a three-year contract with Tennessee Titans free agent guard Nate Davis, a source told ESPN, confirming a report from NFL Network.
In Edmonds’ five years with the Bills, the linebacker has developed into one of the defense’s leaders and key players. He has been a starter from the jump, starting all 74 regular season games and eight games played in the post-season.
The 16th overall selection in the 2018 NFL Draft out of Virginia Tech — after the Bills traded to select quarterback Josh Allen at No. 7 — Edmonds will turn just 25 in May despite already playing five NFL seasons.
The two-time Pro Bowl selection has had over 100 tackles in every season he has played. Bills defensive coordinator Leslie Frazier has talked about wanting to see Edmonds make more spectacular plays. Edmonds has 5 career interceptions, 35 passes defensed, 2 forced fumbles and 6.5 sacks.
Edmonds has improved in pass coverage with his route awareness and ability to go deep as a zone defender. He is a tall, 6-foot-5 linebacker with downhill acceleration against the run and second-level range to track the ball.
In 2022, he played in 13 games, missing time with injuries, but coach Sean McDermott was impressed with the season he put together, calling it “his best year yet” and noting that he could be a leader and How to increase your performance.
Edmonds has been responsible for distributing playcalls on the defensive side of the ball and was named a defensive captain in each of the last four seasons.
Davis, 26, started 54 games at right guard for the Titans over the past four seasons, including 12 starts in 2022, before an ankle injury landed him on injured reserve in December. His pass block win rate of 93.2% was the highest among Tennessee’s offensive linemen, while he finished with a run block win rate of 68.8%.
Davis, who earned his first career start in Week 5 of his rookie season after being selected in the third round of the 2019 draft, can block or climb in zone-run schemes, and he’s a great asset to take on power rushers. Anchors can be set. pass security.
He started all 16 games in his second season, helping pave the way for Derrick Henry to become the eighth running back in NFL history to rush for 2,000 or more yards. He returned in 2021 to start 14 games at right guard as the Titans posted a 12–5 record and the top seed in the AFC.
ESPN’s Alaina Getzenberg, Turron Davenport and Matt Bowen contributed to this report.
