Bears expected to take a flyer on another former Dennis Allen standout, and it’s not Chicago’s only defensive addition
The Chicago Bears are adding some veteran reinforcements to the defense following the first preseason game, including Marcus Davenport, a former standout pass rusher from Dennis Allen’s days in New Orleans.
The Chicago Bears are expected to add a veteran edge rusher to the defense in Marcus Davenport after bringing him in for a workout on Sunday. The move comes on the heels of Chicago’s blowout preseason win over the Cleveland Browns and addresses a position Bears fans have been begging the front office to upgrade all offseason long.
Davenport is not the high-profile name fans have been requesting by any means, but he brings plenty of experience with this coaching staff. The former first-round pick of the New Orleans Saints played five seasons under Bears defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, totaling 21.5 sacks. After his time with the Saints, Davenport spent one year in Minnesota, where he played only four games, followed by two injury-riddled seasons in Detroit.
Chicago Bears will see what Marcus Davenport has left in the tank
In Detroit, Davenport also overlapped with several members of the Bears coaching staff, including head coach Ben Johnson. That gives Chicago a player who has plenty of familiarity with this staff, and has played great before under Allen’s system. The question is, what does Davenport have left in the tank that he can bring to Chicago?
The Lions put a lot of stock into the classic “we can fix him” scenario with Davenport. They wanted so badly for him to be their edge rusher opposite Aidan Hutchinson because the truth is, when Davenport is healthy, he has usually shown he can play. The problem is that he’s struggled to stay healthy and the times that he was, the Lions didn’t get that good play they hoped they would.
Now it’s Chicago’s turn to see what a healthy Davenport could bring. The Bears needed to find some kind of veteran complement to Montez Sweat off the edge and even though Davenport isn’t a starting-caliber player anymore, it still gives Chicago another experienced body in the rotation. But, expectations should be low.
Throughout training camp, the Bears have been rotating Dayo Odeyingbo and Austin Booker at the position opposite Sweat. Both players started Saturday’s preseason opener off the edge, but neither recorded a pressure and both played minimal snaps before exiting the game. The two depth options behind them were Daniel Hardy, primarily a special teams contributor, and Jamree Kromah, who did have a strong showing against the Browns. It’s worth noting that last year’s second-round pick, Shemar Turner, is still on the PUP rehabbing from a torn ACL.
Deantre Prince also set to sign with the Chicago Bears heading into the second week of preseason
Along with Davenport, the Bears are also expected to sign CB Deantre Prince, according to NFL reporter Aaron Wilson. Prince previously worked out with the Bears earlier in training camp and becomes the latest external addition added to the secondary.
The Bears have been decimated in the secondary with injuries continuing to mount up at cornerback and safety. At cornerback specifically, Kyler Gordon has remained sidelined due to a calf injury and Tyrique Stevenson hasn’t been seen at practice in nearly a week.
Prince, the former fifth-round pick of the Jacksonville Jaguars, brings plenty of speed to the table and another body for the Bears to rotate in throughout the remainder of the preseason.
