Bears seriously look at moving Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards

Of all the positions the Chicago Bears had where interest seemed high heading into OTAs, linebacker probably didn't enter the picture.

Yet, on the second day of OTAs, there was Noah Sewell generating curiosity as a strongside linebacker starter, Daniel Hardy doing it by moving from defensive line to work with linebackers, and Tremaine Edmunds and T.J Edwards flipping positions between middle and weakside.

The weakside-middle flip had been mentioned by defensive coordinator Dennis Allen ahead of time, but it seemed like more of a situation where a new coach needed to see the hand he'd been dealt. Maybe it was, or maybe it's a flip they can use in games to confuse opposing offenses.

"I think it just adds, you know what I mean?," Edmunds said. "This league man, the more that you can do, it adds value to you as a player and obviously you develop a different sense, like a different knowledge of the game.

"So just being able to see things from a different perspective, being able just to add things to your belt is always good. Just taking that experience and running with it for real, to be honest.”

Edmunds came to the Bears as a tall, long-armed linebacker with great speed and athleticism. Matt Eberflus saw him as a Brian Urlacher type for the deep zone drops a middle linebacker took in his scheme.

However, at the time it also looked like an athlete like Edmunds might be a perfect Shaquille Leonard type. Leonard played the weakside for Eberflus and made 17 forced fumbles in four years for the Colts in that scheme. He was a 6-foot-2, 230-pound linebacker while Edmunds is 6-5, 250, and ran a 4.54-second 40.

The thing is, Edwards was viewed as more of an attacking, downhill type of linebacker so the fit seemed better for him as weakside playing closer to the line.

Edwards did play middle for the Eagles in the start to his career from 2019-2022. He made two interceptions and 13 pass breakups with the Eagles. With the Bears he has 10 pass breakups, two forced fumbles and four interceptions.

Edmunds in the middle has five interceptions, 15 pass breakups and two forced fumbles for the Bears. As a middle with the Bills, he had five interceptions, 35 pass breakups and two forced fumbles in five seasons.

“Whatever position I am out there, my goal is to make plays," Edmunds said. "Whatever that looks like, I'm going to figure out a way in the system to obviously get my job done and what coach is asking me to do, but at the end of the day I'm out there to make plays and that's what my plan is.

"It's whatever position it looks like."

Bottom line is now is the time for experimenting and learning something new, before pads come on and games are played.

The Bears might find some new type of defense weapon to cause confusion for offenses.