You’ve heard it so much you’re probably tired of hearing it at this point: the Chicago Bears’ top priority this offseason is to beef up their anemic pass rush. Surprise, surprise, ESPN’s latest primer on what eliminated teams like the Bears need to do this spring agrees with that.
“The Bears’ inability to pressure opposing quarterbacks was a glaring weakness all season. Despite spending big last free agency on defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo (one sack in eight games before a season-ending injury) and
defensive tackle Grady Jarrett (two sacks), the Bears got very little return on investment. The No. 1 focus must be a big swing on an edge rusher in free agency or the draft,” the authors of the article concluded.
Though I might argue the Bears’ inability to stop the run is just as big, if not bigger, an issue than the pass rush, there’s no doubt they need more out of their edge players this year. When Joe Tryon-Shoyinka is your most efficient pass-rusher in one-on-one situations, that’s a problem.
So what do you do about it?
As far as swinging on an edge in free agency, I agree that probably needs to happen. But if that means Trey Hendrickson, I’m not going to lie: I’m out on that. Not because Hendrickson isn’t good, but because I’d personally rather give up some draft capital for a disgruntled Maxx Crosby, who’s already being paid, then shelling out new money to an older, lesser player in Hendrickson who just had a down here before ending the season injured. Crosby makes up an instant Super Bowl contender in the same vein as the Packers’ trade for Micah Parsons did. Signing Hendrickson makes you better, but not to the same degree in my opinion.
(And of course, there’s the issue of all that salary the Bears have to shed to make either move happen.)
If it’s not one of them, then you’re talking about another mid-level edge to take the sting out of the swing-and-miss the Bears took on Dayo Odeyingbo last year, which is a dud because to the production and rotten luck with his season-ending Achilles injury.
What about in the draft?
Unfortunately, being at No. 25 overall in the first round of the draft means you don’t get the absolute blue-chip players at edge, which is one of the most sought-after positions in the draft. That’s why Mel Kiper Jr. went with Ohio State defensive tackle Kayden McDonald as the Bears’ pick in his first mock draft.
But dare I say there’s a little splash of optimism in Kiper’s mock that I missed the first time?
In that offseason primer, draft expert Jordan Reid put Clemson’s T.J. Parker as his ideal fit for the Bears defense as “a power rusher who is also an NFL-ready run defender,” with Penn State’s Dani Dennis-Sutton and Illinois’ Gabe Jacas as Day 2 options. Turns out, Kiper has Parker falling out of the first round in his early assessment.
That might not hold, as good players at key positions have a tendency to rise after testing. But if the Bears were to sit tight on making a major move for Crosby or Hendrickson, Parker might actually be the next-best thing, helping both their pass-rushing upside and being a much-needed run defender. After that, the local product Jacas looks really interesting for his size profile at 6-3, 270 pounds, his production (20 sacks, 83 pressures and 5 forced fumbles in his last two college seasons), and his explosive strength at the point of attack, which would make him an early-down player against the run.
So if you’re scoring at home:
Go big or go home when it comes to bringing in an outside edge prospect. Meaning, give me Maxx Crosby, or give me dea—I mean, Austin Booker and a Day 1 or 2 draft pick to pair with Sweat. Leave Hendrickson on the market, good as he is, and let someone else pay him huge money. And if you don’t get one of the big free agents, then attack the position in the draft and shore up the interior with a big move.
Either way, the experts are right. This position needs to get better, and waiting until Day 3 of the draft or signing mid free agents won’t cut it anymore.
