This offseason has been a busy one for the Chicago Bears. General manager Ryan Poles had his work cut out for him attempting to upgrade a roster that went 3-14 in 2022, ending the season on a 10-game losing streak.
Fixing all of the holes that the Bears had on their roster in one season was an impossibility, but Poles did about as good of a job as you could expect. Chicago will be much more competitive this season, as he was aggressive in making moves.
The biggest move was trading the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft to the Carolina Panthers for a package of draft picks and wide receiver D.J. Moore. Moore provides Justin Fields with a legitimate No. 1 option in the passing game, giving him a strong trio with Darnell Mooney and Chase Claypool.
Defensively, the Bears had plenty of leaks as well. Free agent additions, linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards, will help immensely in the run game. Second-round pick Tyrique Stevenson is already making an impact in the secondary, as the second and third level of the defense has seen major upgrades.
The Bears’ defense is still a work in progress, which is why ESPN NFL insider Field Yates believes another move should be made. In his opinion, the one move that still needs to be made this offseason is signing a veteran pass rusher.
“The Bears have not shied from stating the desire to beef up their edge room — they are light on established pass-rushers. The free agent market features more players who would be designated pass-rushers in the Bears’ scheme (think Yannick Ngakoue) than every-down candidates, which leads me to wonder whether the Bears would be better served to find a trade for an edge player. Pretty much any name at the position that has come up as a potential trade/cut candidate has been linked to the Bears.”
The Bears’ pass rush was anemic in 2022, as they recorded only 20 sacks. Rookie defensive back, Jaquan Brisker, led the team with only 4.0. As things are currently situated, the pass rush isn’t going to be improved too much in 2023 as no major additions were made there.
However, a player such as Yannick Ngakoue would be an excellent addition. He has recorded at least 8.0 sacks in every season of his career, bringing a much-needed element to the Bears’ defense.
While Ngakoue is a one-dimensional player, as he doesn’t provide much against the run, Chicago can’t be picky. His pass-rushing ability is a skill they desperately need and with the amount of cap space they still have, they should have no problem making a competitive offer.
