For the second consecutive year, the Chicago Bears have pulled off a big trade ahead of the deadline. And to the surprise of everyone, it isn’t a deal in which they are sellers. Instead, they are buying and looking to bolster their pass rush.
The Bears are acquiring star defensive end Montez Sweat from the Washington Commanders in exchange for a 2024 second-round pick. This is the second consecutive year Chicago is trading away a second-round pick, as they did so last year to acquire wide receiver Chase Claypool from the Pittsburgh Steelers.
That deal was a huge bust for the Bears, as Claypool was traded earlier this season to the Miami Dolphins as things didn’t pan out. They are hoping things with Sweat go a lot smoother, as he fills a major void on their team.
The pass rush in Chicago has been anemic for a few years now. Sweat will help change that as he is a dynamic pass rusher with 6.5 sacks this season and 35.5 in his career. In addition to his ability to get after the quarterback, Sweat is excellent at setting the edge as a run defender as well.
This is a worthwhile risk for the Bears to take. They have a second second-round pick courtesy of the Caorlina Panthers from the trade this past offseason centered around the No. 1 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. Instead of hoping to select and develop an impact player with that selection, they turned it into an established commodity in Sweat.
Chicago is taking advantage of a difficult situation which Washington created for themselves. When they declined the fifth-year option of Chase Young this offseason, they knew there was risk involved as paying both players in 2024 was a near impossibility. With only one franchise tag to use, it was likely one of the star edge rushers would be on the move.
With long-term contracts already handed out to Jonathan Allen and Daron Payne, a deal involving Young or Sweat seemed like a real possibility. In the end, it was Sweat who was moved, as he will have a new home with the Bears, who will look to eventually work out a long-term deal with him.
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