Part 8 of an 11-part review of the 2017 Bears season.

The Bears made a major investment in inside linebackers before the 2016 season, and Danny Trevathan remains as a solid contributor at the heart of the unit while a one-time undrafted free agent has proved to be proficient and valuable for his versatility.

Christian Jones wound up starting 11 games, two of them at outside linebacker at the end of the season after injuries created depth issues there, and finished second on the team with 84 tackles. Jones almost certainly would have been the Bears’ leading tackler had he not been shifted to the outside for the final four games of the season when his playing time dipped dramatically; Jones totaled only 72 snaps over the final four games.

While the Bears ultimately might seek an upgrade over Jones as a full-time starter alongside Trevathan, and would likely consider former fourth-round pick Nick Kwiatkoski first for the role, the versatility of Jones and his additional value as a core special teams player enhances his value as he prepares to become an unrestricted free agent.

The signing of Jerrell Freeman to a three-year deal when Trevathan was added as a major piece (four-year, $28 million contract with $15.5 million guaranteed) has not worked out. Freeman was celebrated for leading the team in tackles in 2016 despite missing four games to suspension for violating the NFL’s policy on performance-enhancing drugs, but the metrics used by those who supported Freeman simply didn’t add up. He lacked the athletic ability to be a dynamic player in the middle of the defense and didn’t play with the same range as Trevathan.

Inside linebackers in this scheme should pile up tackle statistics, so that alone didn’t make Freeman anything more than an average player. Now at 31 and coming off a second PED suspension as well as a concussion suffered in the season opener against the Falcons when he tore a pectoral muscle, it would be a stunner if Freeman returned under new coach Matt Nagy. If Freeman does not retire, the Bears will almost certainly terminate his contract.

That creates definite need for the Bears, who have gotten 13 starts out of Kwiatkowski over the last two seasons with six coming in 2017 when he missed five games from Week 3 through Week 7 after suffering a pectoral injury that, fortunately, did not lead to surgery.

How did every Bears player fare this season? And what is their contract status? A position-by-position look at the 2017 roster. (Colleen Kane, Rich Campbell) (Colleen Kane, Rich Campbell)

Roll call: Danny Trevathan (signed through 2019), Christian Jones (unrestricted free agent), Nick Kwiatkoski (signed through 2019), Jonathan Anderson (signed through 2018), John Timu (restricted free agent), Jerrell Freeman (signed through 2018).

2018 salary-cap figures: Trevathan $7.15 million, Kwiatkoski $773,780, Anderson $705,000, Freeman $4 million.

2017 season review: Credit to Trevathan for returning in time for the start of the season from a serious injury. Late in the 2016 season, he ruptured the patellar tendon in his right knee, which the kind of injury that can derail a player’s career. It can be a more grueling and lengthy rehabilitation than players face returning from more common ACL tears, and Trevathan proved able to get back in good time and good shape to anchor the center of the defense. He missed the Week 5 game for suspension after an illegal hit on Packers wide receiver Davante Adams and was sidelined from Weeks 9 through 11 with a calf muscle injury.

Durability is a concern for Trevathan, who has missed 10 games because of injury in two seasons with the Bears and has been held out of a total of 25 games over the last four seasons after competing in all 32 games in his first two seasons in the league. Trevathan, who led the position with 713 snaps (67.4 percent), made a season-high 13 tackles in the Week 4 loss in Green Bay and again in the Week 8 loss in New Orleans. His 60 solo tackles tied for the team lead with cornerback Kyle Fuller and safety Adrian Amos and he added four tackles for a loss, four quarterback hits, two sacks and five passes defenses with one interception.

Kwiatkoski was promoted first when Freeman was lost for the season after the opener. He showed improvement over his rookie season and does a nice job of playing physically and downhill. He figures to be in the mix for a starting job if a clear improvement is not brought in. Kwiatkoski was on the field for 382 snaps (36.1 percent) and made 45 tackles (eighth) with two sacks and two pass breakups. He made a career-high 10 tackles (nine solo) with a sack in the Nov. 12 loss to the Packers at Soldier Field.

Jones finally settled in after moving from outside to inside linebacker. As defensive coordinator Vic Fangio explained, that was a difficult process because there is so much more happening on the interior. With more experience, Jones improved in the middle, and while he still lacks the instinct you’d probably want, he has missed only one game in four seasons and for a team with so many durability issues, Jones’ health cannot be overstated. He was second at the position with 623 snaps (58.9 percent) and had 57 solo tackles with five tackles for loss, two sacks and two passes defensed.

Timu was promoted from the practice squad in Week 3 and played sporadically on defense with only 136 snaps while contributing on special teams. Timu’s instincts are very good, but he’s undersized and limited athletically which limits his upside. It’s unlikely the Bears will tender him as a restricted free agent, but it’s not out of the realm of possibility that he could return on a lesser deal.

Anderson was on the taxi squad for much of the season, appearing in 12 games but spending three different stints on the practice squad. He was primarily used on special teams and totaled only 31 snaps on defense.

Free agency/draft priority: Medium to low. The key here is how the Bears evaluate Kwiatkowski and his viability as a starter moving forward. Teams aim for fourth-round picks to ultimately rise into starting roles by Year 3 or be primary backups and if nothing else, Kwiatkowski is a solid backup and quality special teams player. It’s difficult to rank this as a high need when you consider the moves the team will need to make at outside linebacker and cornerback, not to mention the holes that must be filled on offense.