Bears ‘still looking at edge rushers’ this offseason: Report originally appeared in NBC Sports Chicago
Bears GM Ryan Poles likes to say that his roster is never a finished product. And he remains true to that thought, according to a recent report.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported in “NFL live” that the Bears “are still looking at edge rushers.”
“They’re still looking for edge rushers. They probably need one more guy. I love Montez Sweat, I love DeMarcus Walker,” Fowler said on the show. “… They’re waiting to see what happens, to see if someone got a good deal.”
The Poles and front office did surprisingly little to hit the trenches this off-season after making noise to acquire Montez Sweat from the Commanders during the previous NFL trade deadline for their 2024 second-round pick.
Most notably, they traded up to the Bills to return to the 2024 NFL Draft in the fifth round to draft Kansas’ Austin Booker. Poles and the Bears believe Booker has a strong upside, as he finished with eight sacks and 12 tackles for loss in his final collegiate season.
As it stands, the Bears have Walker and Booker to work with, unlike Sweat. They hope rookie Gervon Dexter Jr. also moves closer to Andrew Billings in the middle. It’s a reasonably strong defensive line, but it could be better.
Last season, the Bears finished 31st in the NFL in sacks while recording just 30 takedowns. They only beat the Panthers by three sacks. Sweat became the first player in NFL history to lead two teams (Bears, Commanders) in season-ending sacks, recording 6 for the Bears and 6.5 for the Commanders.
The free agent market is relatively small. It is highlighted by Yannick Ngakoue, who played for the Bears last season on a one-year contract before breaking his ankle during Week 14, effectively ending his season. Others include Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl Lawson and Calais Campbell.
The Bears also rank 14th in cap space, as they are about $6 million in the red, according to Spotrac. If they end up pursuing a defense out of trade, it likely won’t be a profitable signing.
But the Bears feel edge rusher is one of the few positions that still needs to be addressed. In short, Fowler reports that the Bears feel confident about where their roster stands these days.
“For the most part, everywhere else they feel fine.”
