The Chicago Bears suffered their first big blow of the year with nose tackle Eddie Goldman choosing to opt out of the 2020 season due to health and safety concerns surrounding COVID-19.
The loss of Goldman is a huge one for the Bears defense, as he known for doing a lot of the dirty work in the trenches that often goes unnoticed. Goldman was an integral part of Chicago’s success in stopping opposing running backs. Now, the Bears have big shoes to fill heading into the 2020 season.
Let’s take a look at three players — currently on the roster or current free agents — that could replace Goldman in 2020.
1. Damon Harrison
If the Bears decide to explore free agency for Goldman’s replacement, there’s no better nose tackle on the market than Damon Harrison. Harrison has played in several defensive schemes, but he continues to prove why he’s one of the best run-stuffing nose tackles in the league. According to Pro Football Focus, Harrison has led all defensive tackles in run-stop percentage in each of the last four seasons.
Chicago currently has around $16 million in salary cap space — factoring in Goldman’s salary cap credit — according to OverTheCap. The Bears could surely bring Harrison in one a reasonable one-year deal in Goldman’s absence, should they choose to look elsewhere for Goldman’s replacement.
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