Butkus, Singletary, Urlacher, Who's Next?

• Bears Hall-of-Famer Bill George was said to have stood up off the defensive line and created the 4-3, although this is open to debate.

• Mike Singletary's penetrating eyes left an indelible image, possibly one even deeper than the imprint his pads made in Eric Dickerson on a fabled third-and-1 stop during the 1985 NFC championship game.

• There has been no one who could roam as deep and laterally out of this position in pass coverage while also displaying the ability to come up and play the run as fast and effectively as Brian Urlacher. It's why he's in Canton.

• The fear and dread created merely by thinking the name Dick Butkus is why his name is mentioned last. "I called him a maniac, a stone maniac," the great Deacon Jones said of Butkus on NFL Films. "He was a well-conditioned animal, and every time he hit you, he tried to put you in the cemetery, not the hospital." It provided prelude for Jones' poetic gem: "Well the only thing I can say about the great Dick Butkus, I'll say it in a poem: Roses are red and violets are blue, if you got any sense, you'll keep Butkus away from you."

Despite such a rich legacy the Bears have not had a middle linebacker the past seven years. They've had two inside linebackers in their base 3-4 after switching two years following Urlacher's retirement.

Matt Eberflus brings back the 4-3 and there will be a Bears middle linebacker again.

Who will it be?

The Bears need a middle linebacker to put the exclamation mark on a conversion back to their traditional defense.

Roquan Smith could be a middle linebacker, but his speed and playmaking ability might make him a better 4-3 weakside linebacker in the fashion of Lance Briggs or Tampa Bay great Derrick Brooks.

Finding one like the all-time greats they've had at this position doesn't happen at the snap of a finger. Butkus and Urlacher were early first-round picks, Singletary a second-rounder. The Bears have no first-round picks this year. So getting one is not something they can't simply will. 

Some Mike linebackers they've had were solid, like Barry Minter. Jonathan Bostic was drafted by Phil Emery and quickly was out of Chicago just like another Emery pick who was tried at middle linebacker briefly, Shea McClellin.

Bostic still is in the league, though, and is a free agent again.

One player who was in the last Bears group to play middle linebacker in a game was also on their team last year. They tried Christian Jones in the middle briefly in 2014. Jones was back last year on a one-year contract as a backup inside linebacker.

Here are 10 names to watch at the position as the draft and free agency approach with middle linebacker in mind.

Free Agents

ANTHONY WALKER, CLEVELAND 

The 6-foot-1, 235-pound, sixth-year player would be returning home in a way in Chicago. He played college ball at Northwestern. Walker was Matt Eberflus' middle linebacker in Indianapolis, left after 2020 for a year in Cleveland on a $3 million deal and now is a free agent again.

JARRAD DAVIS, NY JETS 

The 6-1, 245-pound veteran is 28 and played middle linebacker for the Jets last year. Bears fans will remember him more as the Detroit Lions first-round draft pick in 2017 and inside linebacker/middle linebacker for four seasons prior to 2021 in New York. He played only nine games last year after an ankle injury in preseason resulted in a stay on injured reserve.

JA'WHAUN BENTLEY, NEW ENGLAND  

New England's inside linebacker who has the size to handle the middle at 6-2, 255, he started for the first time last year and forced three fumbles while recording career highs in tackles (109) and also TFLs (5).

LEIGHTON VANDER ESCH, DALLAS

Billed originally as the next Luke Kuechly Vander Esch has been more like McClellin was for the Bears. He hasn't lived up to it and really didn't play there much. He was a weak-side linebacker in the Cowboys 4-3 this past season. At 6-foot-4, 256, there's no doubt he has the size to handle passes deep over the middle in zone coverage. When he played middle linebacker and was targeted in 2020 he allowed 86.4% completions, and a 99.2 passer rating. Still, Dallas' use of a 4-3 isn't quite the same under Dan Quinn now as it was when Eberflus was a Dallas linebackers coach. Perhaps he'd be a fit inside for the Bears now.

FOYESADE OLUOKUN, ATLANTA 

He's playing middle linebacker in Atlanta's 4-3 but doing it at less than 220 pounds. It didn't prevent him from leading the NFL in tackles last year with 192. And he was solid against the pass the last two years with 87.8 and 89.9 passer ratings against when targeted.

Draft

QUAY WALKER, GEORGIA

At 6-3 1/2, 245, he has the size to handle the middle but again it's the coverage as an issue. His run defense and speed look solid enough according to NFL Draft Bible, and his arm length lets him get away with some mistakes. Summed up, Walker has all the physical requirements and just needs a chance to develop as a middle. He is regarded by many as more of an outside off-ball linebacker. He made 79 tackles, 11 for loss and five sacks with three pass defenses at Georgia.

DEVIN LLOYD, UTAH

Made 43 tackles for loss out of the 256 for his career, and was also an excellent pass rusher with 15 1/2 sacks. He made four interceptions as a senior and five for his career. Ideal size at 6-3 and is 235 pounds. He has experience both as a middle and weak side, and was a teammate of Jaylon Johnson's in 2019.

CHRISTIAN HARRIS, ALABAMA 

Regarded by some as a weak side in a 4-3 because of his tremendous speed, he also is a fundamentally sound run defender so he could be a middle linebacker at the next level. The other reason he might be a good 4-3 Mike is he is the one lining up the Alabama defense all the time and communicating with teammates, according to NFL Draft Bible. At 6-1, he's not ideal size for the middle but is 232 and a violent hitter.

CHANNING TINDALL, GEORGIA

His sideline-to-sideline speed is probably more likely to be evident in the NFL away from Georgia's system, especially if he is a 4-3 middle. Undersized though at 6-1 1/2, 223, he must improve at diagnosing plays if he is used inside or the middle according to NFLDB.

CHAD MUMA, WYOMING

A classic middle at 6-2 1/2, 241, he follows former Wyoming star Logan Wilson, who starts in the Super Bowl for Cincinnati. Has the mental makeup and willingness to hit on running plays but does need work on covering seam routes with wideouts and tight ends according to NFLDB.

TROY ANDERSEN, MONTANA ST.

A former quarterback and running back who played both ways for a time, he is ideal size for a middle at 6-3 1/2, 242. A big hitter and play stopper on key downs, he showed in Senior Bowl week that he could drop in pass coverage better than he was given credit for being able to do.