Latest news with #DayoOdeyingbo
USA Today
16 hours ago
- Sport
- USA Today
PFF grades for Bears' projected starting defense in 2025
PFF grades for Bears' projected starting defense in 2025 There are high expectations surrounding the Chicago Bears heading into the 2025 season following the hiring of head coach Ben Johnson, who made a huge addition with defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, who should take this defense to the next level. The Bears made some big additions this offseason along the defensive line, including the free-agent acquisitions of defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (an experienced veteran and proven leader) and edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo (an ascending pass rusher poised to make a leap). They also added some potential playmakers in the 2025 NFL draft, including defensive tackle Shemar Turner, linebacker Ruben Hyppolite II and cornerback Zah Frazier. With Allen taking the reins on defense, there's little doubt the unit should prosper behind their new defensive coordinator's aggressive style of defense. But there were some encouraging moments from Chicago's starters last season and for the newcomers joining the fold, as evidenced by Pro Football Focus. PFF grades (2024) for projected starters on Bears defense: EDGE Montez Sweat - 65.6 EDGE Dayo Odeyingbo - 66.1 DT Gervon Dexter Sr. - 70.3 DT Grady Jarrett - 62.1 LB T.J. Edwards - 60.7 LB Tremaine Edmunds - 59.2 CB Jaylon Johnson - 76.2 CB Tyrique Stevenson - 58.9 NCB Kyler Gordon - 76.0 S Kevin Byard - 72.8 S Jaquan Brisker - 65.3 Follow Bears Wire on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Bears Post Five-Word Message to NFL Announcement on Monday
There's no doubt that after going just 5-12 in 2024, the Chicago Bears, who will now be led by first-year head coach Ben Johnson, are looking to see some serious improvement in 2025. Throughout the offseason, they made some major additions, including signing defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (three years, $48 million), defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (three years, $43.7 million), and trading for offensive lineman Joe Thuney. Advertisement There's now a lot of hope surrounding the team and on Monday, the NFL announced that the Bears would be taking on the Green Bay Packers for a Week 16 matchup on Dec. 20. Of course, the two teams are a part of the biggest rivalry in NFL history, and the Bears quickly reacted to the news, saying "Week 16 at our place," via a social media post. Of course, these two's rivalry dates back to Nov. 27, 1921, when they faced off for the first time, where Chicago put together a dominant performance, shutting the Packers out and winning 20-0. Throughout the years, the two teams have switched back and forth for the series lead, but as of now, Green Bay has firm control with a 107-95-6 record in regular season games, while also going 1-1 in playoff matchups. Chicago Bears quarterback Caleb Williams© Jeff Hanisch-Imagn Images Last season, though, in a Week 18 matchup, the Bears were able to snap an 11-game losing streak, which dated back Sep. 9, 2018, and happened to be the longest in the rivalries' history. Advertisement However, it will remain to be seen if the Bears end up falling into their old habits, as the expectations are relatively low with ESPN BET giving them the worst odds at winning the NFC North. Related: Jaxson Dart's Request at Giants Practice is Turning Heads
USA Today
25-03-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
2025 NFL mock draft: Bears select edge rusher over offensive lineman
2025 NFL mock draft: Bears select edge rusher over offensive lineman The Chicago Bears have been busy overhauling the roster under new head coach Ben Johnson, where the focus has been the trenches. The Bears added some key pieces in center Drew Dalman, guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo. But there's still plenty of work to be done in the 2025 NFL Draft, where Chicago has four Top 75 selections, including the No. 10 pick. There's plenty of discussion about which direction the Bears should go in with their first-round pick, but the general consensus remains offensive and defensive line. In a new mock draft from The Athletic's Ben Standig, the Bears pass on offensive lineman Will Campbell for edge rusher Mykel Williams at 10th overall. Signing free agent Dayo Odeyingbo should not preclude the Bears from pursuing an edge defender, whether they're monitoring a Trey Hendrickson trade or dipping into this deep class. The potential wrinkle is whether new head coach Ben Johnson wants to replicate Jahmyr Gibbs' running back electricity in Chicago. General manager Ryan Poles told reporters that the team's free agent acquisitions has opened up their draft board, so we could very well see them going best available at that spot. With that in mind, it's hard to imagine them passing on Campbell, who would provide a long-term option be it at tackle or guard. Still, if Chicago goes pass rusher, Williams feels like the best fit with Abdul Carter off the board. Last season, Williams totaled 21 tackles, five sacks, and two forced fumbles, but he also revealed at the NFL Scouting Combine that he wasn't at full health. Running back could be an option for Chicago here. But it's worth noting that Ashton Jeanty went to the Las Vegas Raiders at sixth overall, otherwise he might've been the Bears' selection.
New York Times
11-03-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Why the Bears winning another offseason actually feels real this time
That's it. I've seen enough. Sound the trumpets, raise the banners, plan the parade route. The Chicago Bears have won yet another offseason. Like a cable network on election night, I'm calling it. While the Bears famously haven't won a Super Bowl since their shufflin' days, Chicago's charter franchise is a perennial contender from January through April — congrats to general manager Ryan Poles for a third consecutive championship-caliber offseason — so this is nothing unique. But what's different is what this winning winter looks and feels like. The words that come to mind are 'actual progress.' GO DEEPER Bears free agency tracker: Grady Jarrett, Dayo Odeyingbo join D-line Sarcasm is natural when discussing the Bears — in season or off — but it's hard to be dismissive of what the Bears have done since winning their season finale in Green Bay. You can laugh at the hope and optimism of Bears fans right now, you can point out Poles' many, many mistakes that have the team in a position of being this needy, but you can't argue that Poles hasn't been attacking the team's many, many weaknesses with a little pep in his step. He looks a lot smarter when he's working with Ben Johnson, that's for sure. Advertisement From signing Johnson to a coaching megacontract and allocating enough money to assistant coaches to attacking the team's foundational weaknesses before the draft, the Bears are doing real work to erase last season's 5-12 disaster from our memory. So yes, it's easy to make fun of the Bears' penchant for winning offseasons — and I rarely pass up an opportunity to make fun of the Bears for anything — but don't dismiss these moves as false hustle or NFL March Madness. Nothing wrong with starting a rehab project from the foundation up. On a warm sunny day in Chicago, NFL free agency kicked off with the Bears signing three veterans for the trenches — center Drew Dalman (ranked No. 15 in The Athletic's top 150 free agents), defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (No. 52) and defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (released by the Falcons on Monday). These moves complemented last week's trades for offensive guards Joe Thuney and Jonah Jackson. These are the kinds of moves that have skeptical ex-Bears such as Olin Kreutz nodding their head in appreciation. .@olin_kreutz goes in-depth on the Bears' new-look offensive line and what it means from a schematic standpoint. He likes how Drew Dalman has the athleticism to get to the second level of the defense to pave the way in the running game. Listen: — 670 The Score (@670TheScore) March 10, 2025 Dalman, 26, was the top-rated center in free agency. Jarrett, an elder statesman who turns 32, was a well-regarded player in Atlanta. Odeyingbo, who turns 26 early next season, is a high-ceiling pass rusher from Indianapolis. In the span of a week, the Bears have three new offensive linemen for Johnson's offense and two new defensive linemen for defensive coordinator Dennis Allen's defense. And they still have their four picks in the top 75 (along with four more from rounds five through seven). In the distance, you can hear a drumbeat for Ashton Jeanty at No. 10. Advertisement Last year, it was a little flashier as Poles added Caleb Williams at quarterback, Rome Odunze and Keenan Allen at receiver and D'Andre Swift at running back. But it's hard to develop a quarterback (or run an offense) when he's getting swarmed every play. Offensive coordinator Shane Waldron didn't help. The good intentions of last offseason fell victim to the harsh realities of the NFL. It was as if the Bears built a house out of graham crackers and frosting and expected it to withstand a hurricane. GO DEEPER Bears land Drew Dalman: How the center fits into their overhauled offensive line Poles wasted a year of Williams' development, just like his predecessors squandered the first seasons of Jay Cutler, Mitch Trubisky and Justin Fields. Since their last appearance in a Super Bowl, this is the Bears' fourth big swing on a quarterback, and in each case, each QB — Cutler, Trubisky, Fields and Williams — has had a different offensive coordinator in his second year. But at least Cutler and Trubisky also had better teams around them. In Year 2 for Cutler, the Bears loaded up in the offseason — Lovie Smith showing up at Julius Peppers' door was a treat — and they made it to the NFC Championship Game. Before Trubisky's second year, GM Ryan Pace hired Matt Nagy and traded for Khalil Mack, and the Bears won the division. As for Fields, well, he wasn't given much to work with, was he? With a promising veteran line and much better coaching, Williams is set up for a big second year that could erase the doubts from a disappointing rookie season. The Bears, as a team, are set up for success for the first time since 2018. It's a start. GO DEEPER NFL free-agency tracker: See where Sam Darnold, Aaron Rodgers and the top 150 players land Last summer, Poles said at the end of 'Hard Knocks' it was 'time to win,' and he was right for a little bit until he was very, very wrong. Johnson, at his introductory news conference in January, refreshed that idea. 'Our mission starting this spring is to win and to win now,' he said. Like their promises, the Bears' failures often repeat themselves. But while I'm not camping out in Grant Park waiting for the parade, I'm not going to poke fun at Poles for another offseason championship, either. No one's hoisting a banner in Chicago, but if fans want to celebrate with a beer and a mock draft, I can't blame them. Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox. Free, daily NFL updates direct to your inbox. (Photo of Drew Dalman: Danny Karnik / Associated Press)
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Will Colts edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo cash in during NFL free agency? Here's what an NFL.com writer thinks
The Indianapolis Colts may have some tough decisions to make when NFL free agency starts next week. Prominent players who could entertain offers include offensive linemen Ryan Kelly and Will Fries, pass rusher Dayo Odeyingbo, safety Julian Blackmon and linebacker E.J. Speed. Odeyingbo made progress in his fourth season, breaking into the starting lineup and getting 3 sacks and 17 quarterback hits. The 2021 second-round draft pick out of Vanderbilt is 25 years old and is solidly in the top 10 of available free agent edge rushers. Tom Pelissero lists five players who could make more than you might expect, including Odeyingbo: "There are a bunch of veteran, big-name edge rushers available in free agency — Khalil Mack, Matt Judon, Haason Reddick, Chase Young and Josh Sweat, to name a few — and Odeyingbo could end up with as big a payday as any of them. A second-round pick (54th overall) out of Vanderbilt in the 2021 NFL Draft, Odeyingbo took on a larger role in his fourth season and led the Colts with 50 QB pressures, per Next Gen Stats. He's one of just six players with 30-plus QB hits and fewer than 20 starts over the past two seasons. And he is still only 25 years old. Teams often bet big on upside in crucial areas like edge rushing, so it wouldn't be a shock to see Odeyingbo land a deal in the range of $16 million to $20 million per year." March 10-12: Negotiating period in which teams can contact certified agents of players eligible to become unrestricted free agents. March 12: Free agency and trading period begins. This is the official first day of the 2025 NFL year. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Colts edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo in NFL free agency salary
