The Chicago Bears made a move yesterday that most fans wanted them to make when they signed a defensive end. It wasn’t the specific player many had hoped for, but it was a player with whom defensive coordinator Dennis Allen is comfortable. Tanoh Kpassagnon was with Allen in New Orleans from 2021 through last offseason when he tore his Achilles. He came all the way back to play in the final three games, but by then, Allen was gone from the Saints.
We’ll have to see how he slots in with the team in the coming
weeks, but at the very least, he’ll provide some much-needed veteran competition.
Roster Locks
Montez Sweat will look to bounce back from a down year where lingering injuries cut into his production. Free agent pick-up Dayo Odeyingbo, who will turn 26 in September, got big money after just one year of being a starter, and the Bears are banking on him being an ascending talent.
Second-year pro Austin Booker is younger than all but three of the Bears' 2025 draft class, and even though he was drafted for the previous coaching scheme, he has tremendous upside.
A Good Bet to Make it
I can’t put Kpassagnon as a lock until I see his contract. While he did come back from the injury, he’s also 31 years old and could be winding down. His familiarity with Allen’s scheme could give him an edge, but I still need to see where he fits in. The best case scenario is that he has enough left in the tank to be DE3/4.
On the Bubble
Fourth-year pro Dominique Robinson, who bulked up last year, looks like a Dennis Allen defensive end, and he got an offseason shoutout from his head coach.
“Even without pads on, he’s done a great job of consistently speed rushing up the field or countering back to the inside,” Johnson said via the team site about Robinson. “He’s done a really nice job there. And, of course, he’s got some special teams value that he takes a lot of pride in as well.”
Speaking of special teams value, Daniel Hardy tied for the team lead with 11 special teams tackles, and he also blocked a punt and forced a fumble. He’s been working out at linebacker, which would add even more value and increase his chances at the 53-man roster.
Rookie UDFA Xavier Carlton and 2024 UDFA Jamree Kromah round up the position group.
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