Brian Urlacher is on his way out of Chicago after 13 seasons and after having a tough negotiation with the Bears he could be moving on to the Minnesota Vikings or the Green Bay Packers, both NFC North rivals.
According to ESPN.com, the Vikings are one of the prime spots for him to land, as they are a bit weak at linebacker in the middle with Jasper Brinkley and Urlacher could be motivated to play against his old team. The Vikings ranked 24th in passing defense and allowed over 100 yards on the ground per game, something Urlacher could help improve.
The Vikings and Brinkley haven't come to terms yet and while the team may use the draft to help at linebacker, but Urlacher could be a good fit. The Chicago Tribune reported that two sides have previously spoken and that the move could happen.
"We've got the upcoming draft to try to address it," Frazier said, "and we'll also look at what's available in NFL free agency. It's definitely a position we need to address. We have a void there and we've got to find the right guy. It's a big part of our defense. We have to get better at the middle linebacker position."
The team wants a three down middle linebacker and even if Urlacher is old, he can still play and make an impact after missing four games last season. He expects to be fully healthy and will have a chance to start if he comes to Minnesota. The Packers also could be an option, as he could fit there with Clay Matthews despite the team having a different scheme.
Urlacher and the Bears could not come to an agreement after the team offered him a small one-year deal. He countered with an offer of $3.5 million, but the Bears stuck to their guns at $2 million and now he appears gone.
"The Bears kept saying, 'We want to make Brian a Bear, retire a Bear. Blah, blah, blah.' It was all lip service in my mind. They said that, but they never acted on it. It was like they all had a handbook on how to handle the situation they passed out around there," he said.
The 34-year-old made 68 tackles and two forced fumbles last season while also scoring a touchdown off of an interception.
