Bears to sign defensive ends McDonald, Jenkins
When coach John Fox was asked two weeks ago which players on the current roster would be ends in Vic Fangio's 3-4 defense, he was noncommittal, partly because none of the returning players fit that mold in the Bears' new scheme.
“That's really hard for me to answer right now,” Fox said. “I'm going to wait and let that kind of sort itself out when we start playing.”
That question became a lot easier to answer after the Bears agreed Tuesday to deals with a pair of veteran 3-4 defensive ends — Ray McDonald and Jarvis Jenkins — who will add clarity and competition to the position.
The 6-foot-3, 290-pound McDonald is an eight-year veteran whose career blossomed while playing for Fangio the last four seasons in the San Francisco 49ers' 3-4 alignment.
Some off-the-field problems hastened his departure there, and that could leave the Bears with a lot of explaining to do, especially after they practically gave away five-time Pro Bowl wide receiver Brandon Marshall, in part because of concerns about off-field distractions. McDonald was released in December for what 49ers officials called a “pattern of poor decision-making.”
McDonald has been accused of violence against women twice in the last seven months, including a December rape allegation. No charges were filed in the first case, and none have been filed in the most recent case, although it remains open. McDonald is now suing his most recent accuser, and contends the sex was consensual.
In the first case, McDonald was arrested on suspicion of felony domestic violence brought by his fiancee, who was 10 weeks pregnant.
The 30-year-old McDonald has started 59 games over the last four seasons and is likely to enter training camp as one of the Bears' defensive end starters. He has 14 ½ sacks and 153 tackles in the previous four seasons, is a strong and physical run defender and was considered one of the league's better 3-4 defensive ends before he was released.
McDonald was drafted in the third round (97th overall) by the 49ers out of Florida.
The 6-foot-4, 315-pound Jenkins, who will be 27 next month, agreed to a one-year deal for the $745,000 minimum salary for a player with his experience. He could also contend for a starting spot after starting 33 games over the previous three seasons, including 14 in 2014, at left end in Washington's 3-4 defense.
But Jenkins is considered more of a two-down player whose strength lies in stopping the run. The former second-round pick (41st overall) out of Clemson in 2011 has never played up to his draft status and has never been a factor as a pass rusher. He has just 2 career sacks but had 28 tackles last season.
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