Emma: Bears' Leonard Floyd Has Arrived

By Chris Emma--

LAKE FOREST, Ill. (CBS) -- Only one man stood between Bears linebacker Leonard Floyd, 49ers quarterback Blaine Gabbert and a safety. Floyd smelled blood.

"Pretty much every time I'm out there, I smell it," Floyd said with a smirk.

When the ball was snapped to Gabbert, the rookie Floyd was quick from his stance off the edge. As 49ers right tackle Trent Brown approached, Floyd beat him with a swim move, the kind he's worked on since the offseason with position coach Clint Hurtt. In an instant, he was there.

Gabbert shifted to his right, past the goal line. Floyd's speed was too much. He grabbed Gabbert and heaved him to the ground. As the official signaled safety, the fans at Soldier Field so frustrated with the present celebrated an important piece for their future.

It looks like Floyd has arrived.

"I've been impressed," Bears coach John Fox said. "He's a very athletic guy. He's got a lot of natural abilities. His mindset is good, too."

Floyd leads all NFL rookies in sacks, now with seven on the season -- including 6.5 in his last five games. After overcoming early season injuries, Floyd has developed in coordinator Vic Fangio's defense.

Moving up to get Floyd seemed like a risk for the Bears back in April, but general manager Ryan Pace and the front office brass believed in what he could become. They jumped ahead of the Giants to the No. 9 pick to ensure Floyd was theirs.

When he arrived at Halas Hall, Floyd looked like an NBA shooting guard, not an NFL edge rusher. Fangio preached that his size wouldn't matter and the speed would prevail. So when Floyd struggled to see the field and had a half sack in the first six weeks of the season, the concerns were real.

Floyd has since become a force in this defense. His Bears teammates sense it.

"One of my favorite things to watch is how the young boy Floyd wants it so bad," defensive end Akiem Hicks said of Floyd. "Just his energy, it excites me because I remember how I was when I was a rookie, just chomping at the bit wanting to be in there on every frickin' play, trying to make one every frickin' play."

The Bears have touted Floyd's athleticism and suggested that his abilities will lead to a great career off the edge. Making the move was bold, especially considering what remained on the board at No. 9, but Pace and his scouts were sold on Floyd.

Ever since Floyd arrived at Halas Hall, teammates have been drawn to his work ethic, his energy and his passion. He's a lightning rod in the locker room. So when he went down two weeks ago at MetLife Stadium with a concussion, they were crushed.

Floyd was motionless on the turf late in the fourth quarter. His head went flying into the side of Hicks, and he wasn't moving. Floyd doesn't remember the team of 20 that surrounded him on the field or when the entire team came to his side as a cart took him to an ambulance. Floyd doesn't remember when it all seemed uncertain.

Soon enough, doctors confirmed to Floyd that he would be OK. He does remember that and when teammates offered their relief with playful jokes on the flight home. Floyd was ready to get back working.

After missing one more game, Floyd returned from the concussion protocol and got back to the field last Sunday. Two weeks after leaving on a stretcher, Floyd ran off the field celebrating a safety.

"I'm going to finish out the rest of these games as hard as I can," he said. "The offseason, I plan on working hard, getting ready for the next."

What's next for the Floyd appears quite promising.

Chris Emma covers the Bears, Chicago's sports scene and more for CBSChicago.com. Follow him on Twitter @CEmma670 and like his Facebook page.