The acronym of “NFL” has been translated as “Not For Long” within the business of football for many years. This is particularly true when it comes to assessing the many trade rumors that fly around throughout the offseason. There is a(nother) possibility for the Bears’ to upgrade their defensive line with a big swing in the trade market.
Per several reports, including from national insider Ian Rapoport of NFL Network ESPN — that will take some time to adjust — and Pat Leonard of New York Daily News,
the New York Giants and star defensive tackle Dexter Lawrence are possibly headed for a divorce. The Giants currently have him under contract for two more seasons.
The current expectation is there will be significant interest from teams around the league if and when the bidding war for “Sexy Dexy” begins in earnest. One of those teams might very well be the Chicago Bears, as they have been “in” on a few trade rumors this year, including confirmation by general manager Ryan Poles of their interest in Maxx Crosby during his latest presser. As of the writing for this article the suggested price tag could be somewhere between a 1st round pick and/or a combination of picks from day two.
Interestingly enough, the Bears have not shifted monies around to open up cap space recently. This is why they currently appear snug against the salary cap per overthecap. Theoretically, they have an ample amount of flexibility to tap into if / when the Bears pull the trigger on a sizeable move. They will need to alter salaries in the near future to get their draft picks under contract as well.
Adding a player like Dexter Lawrence II to their defensive line would arguably be the biggest force multiplier of any option on the market. A player who can truly open up opportunities for everyone else in their revamped front seven to make plays. Warren Sharp of Sharp Football Analysis has put together an amazing compilation of statistics and data for how rare of a player Dex is as a true nose who can rush the passer at an elite level.
The number which stands out most for me is how many pressures he’s generated since 2022. As posted above, he’s been credited with 108 pressures when lined up as a nose tackle (zero or one/shade). The next highest number… is 32 from Tampa Bay Buccaneers defensive tackle Vita Vea. Generating a pass rush as a true nose is hard enough. To do so consistently, while handling the dirty work and double / triple teams, is unreal. Dexter Lawrence II is truly 1-of-1 as a nose tackle while coming in at 6-4 and over 340 pounds.
Will the Bears part with pick #25 straight up? Or, a combination of picks between now and 2027? It remains to be seen how interested they truly are in this sweepstakes. But, for a team looking to win now, this would be a slam dunk trade. One that will most certainly be accompanied by a new contract that shall pay him as the league’s top nose tackle.
