The Bears brought in a new defensive coordinator this offseason when Vic Fangio signed on to head coach John Fox’s first Chicago staff and that’s expected to mean a move toward the 3-4 base look that both men favored in previous stops.
On Wednesday, they added a player with experience in such schemes. The Bears announced they have signed former Cardinals outside linebacker Sam Acho to a one-year deal.
Acho was a fourth-round pick by Arizona in 2011 and made a splash as a rookie with seven sacks and four forced fumbles in 16 games. Acho added four more sacks while making 16 starts in his second season, but missed most of 2013 with a broken leg and contributed just one sack to the team’s pass rush.
The Bears signed Pernell McPhee to go with holdover options LaMarr Houston, Shea McClellin and Jared Allen on the edges of the defense. Acho will work his way into that mix as well and the Bears will determine how all the pieces fit once they start their offseason program.