Willie Young

Willie Young

38-Year-Old LinebackerLB
 Free Agent  
2023 Fantasy Outlook
There was no outlook written for Willie Young in 2023. Check out the latest news below for more on his current fantasy value.
$Released by the Bears in February of 2018.
Cut by Chicago
LBFree Agent
Triceps
February 28, 2018
The Bears released Young (triceps) on Wednesday, Patrick Finley of the Chicago Sun-Times reports.
ANALYSIS
Young, who is set to turn 33 years old in September, is the second veteran outside linebacker the Bears have released this week after Pernell McPhee (shoulder) was handed his walking papers Monday. With no fewer than 6.5 sacks in his first three seasons in Chicago upon joining the team in 2014, Young was one of the top pass-rushing threats on the roster, but carried significant health concerns after having suffered a torn Achilles' tendon in 2015 and requiring season-ending surgery in October to address a torn triceps. Expect the Bears to make bolstering their outside-linebacker group a top priority in the offseason.
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NFL Stats
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2017
2016
2017 NFL Game Log
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2023 Willie Young Split Stats
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Measurables Review
How do Willie Young's measurables compare to other linebackers?
This section compares his draft workout metrics with players at the same position. The bar represents the player's percentile rank. For example, if the bar is halfway across, then the player falls into the 50th percentile for that metric and it would be considered average.
Height
6' 4"
 
Weight
259 lbs
 
40-Yard Dash
4.88 sec
 
Shuttle Time
4.56 sec
 
Cone Drill
7.24 sec
 
Vertical Jump
38.0 in
 
Broad Jump
118 in
 
Bench Press
25 reps
 
Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Willie Young See More
NFL Draft: Final Four-Round Mock
April 25, 2016
Polarizing Notre Dame wideout Will Fuller will likely go in the first round, but whether he'll land in a favorable situation is less clear.
2015 Team Preview: Chicago Bears
June 23, 2015
After a disappointing season that resulted in an an overhaul at the top of the organization, new head coach John Fox and new GM Ryan Pace come to Chicago looking to turn things around quickly. Will Fox and OC Adam Gase be the duo to reach Jay Cutler?
IDP Analysis: Kemal Ishmael Back for More
December 27, 2014
Kemal Ishmael has been an elite DB1 while starting this year, and William Moore's absence will put Ishmael back into a three-down role for Week 17.
Weekly Rankings: Week 17 Value Meter
December 24, 2014
Week 17 always means that certain playoff teams (and non-playoff teams to boot) will bench their starters. So Dez Bryant will be among the handful much lower in the rankings than usual this week.
IDP Analysis: Clay Matthews' High-Impact Position Change
November 14, 2014
Clay Matthews was never much of an IDP factor in standard IDP scoring since he posted low tackle totals as an OLB in the 3-4, but moving inside has allowed him to post both tackles and sacks.
Past Fantasy Outlooks
2017
2016
2015
2014
2010
In his three years with the Bears, Young has notched 24 sacks despite being a rotational player at times. He's expected to remain in a rotational role in 2017, but his ability to generate sacks makes him a viable IDP options in deep leagues.
Young, a seven-year veteran, is entering his third season with the Bears after appearing in 15 contests, including eight starts, in 2015. Last year, he was second on the team with both 6.5 sacks and 21 quarterback pressures as a follow-up to him recording a career-high 10 sacks in 2014. The 31-year-old was signed to a two-year extension through 2018, so despite the team adding defensive pieces in the off-season, he’s expected to see plenty of time on the field as a pass rusher, and his ability to get to the quarterback gives him some IDP value.
Though Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston were the more high-profile defensive ends brought in by former GM Phil Emery last offseason, it was Young who ended up prevented the most impact on a terrible Bears defense. Despite not starting a game until the second half of the season, Young thrived as a rotational end, accruing seven sacks in his first six games and ultimately finishing with a career-high and team-leading 10 sacks to go along with a respectable total of 39 tackles. Those strong numbers may have been enough to put Young in line to assume a full-time starting role in 2015, but those hopes all came crumbling down in Week 16, when he tore the Achilles tendon in his left foot. Because Achilles injuries are one of the more troubling injuries an athlete reliant on explosion can suffer, Young’s long-term outlook was already in question, and his situation took another turn for the worse when the Bears hired Vic Fangio to take over as the defensive coordinator. With Fangio set to install a 3-4 scheme this season, Young will now have to try to come back from a serious setback while transitioning to outside linebacker, a position ill-suited for his abilities. While Young has recovered faster than expected from the Achilles tear and is available for the start of training camp -- albeit in a limited capacity in the early going -- it’s imperative that he show the new coaching staff he can play the new position effectively. Should he fail in that quest, Young’s rather cheap contract could make him at risk of being cut at the end of camp, a development that nobody would have considered as recently as last December.
Young proved to be an effective part of the Lions' defensive end rotation last season, notching 47 total tackles, three sacks and two fumble recoveries in 16 games. He was able to parlay that performance into a three-year deal with the Bears. Fellow offseason pickups Jared Allen and Lamarr Houston are the clear-cut top defensive ends in Chicago, but Houston's ability to slide inside and play tackle should open up a decent amount of snaps at end for Young.
Look for Young to provide depth for the Lions' defensive front four.
More Fantasy News
Records two sacks before shutdown
LBChicago Bears
Triceps
January 7, 2018
Young (triceps) notched two sacks in four games before being placed on injured reserve in Week 5.
ANALYSIS
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Lands on IR
LBChicago Bears
Triceps
October 10, 2017
Young (triceps) was placed on injured reserve Tuesday, Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reports.
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Will sit Monday
LBChicago Bears
Triceps
October 9, 2017
Young (triceps) is inactive for Monday night's game against the Vikings.
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Possibly out for season
LBChicago Bears
Triceps
October 7, 2017
Young (triceps) will likely require season-ending surgery, Dan Wiederer of the Chicago Tribune reports.
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Monday's status wildly up in air
LBChicago Bears
Triceps
October 7, 2017
Young (triceps) did not practice Saturday and is considered doubtful for Monday's divisional showdown with Minnesota, Colleen Kane of the Chicago Tribune reports.
ANALYSIS
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