The Chicago Bears have their options to weigh out in the edge rushing market this offseason when looking to address one of the biggest needs on their roster. As a unit, the defensive line has not had much success getting to the quarterback over the last couple of seasons.
The Bears have finished toward the bottom in pressure rate against opposing signal callers and with Dennis Allen running the show now, that will surely change. The new defensive coordinator runs a 4-3 scheme that emphasizes getting to the quarterback early and often. That type of play will not work with just Montez Sweat on the edge for the Bears.
Another pass rusher has been a major need for quite some time in Chicago, and the hope is that fans finally get their wish this offseason. Whether through free agency, the draft or on the trade market, there are plenty of options for the Bears to pursue over the course of the next two months. The organization might even have a bigger chance at landing the biggest fish in the pond than originally anticipated.
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Myles Garrett officially requested a trade out of Cleveland on February 3 and has rightfully garnered plenty of interest across the league since doing so. Bill Barnwell of ESPN believes that if the Bears front office really wants to go after Garrett, they should because they have the means to do so.
“With an extra second-round pick still coming from the 2023 trade with the (Carolina) Panthers, they have extra capital if they did decide to make an offer for Garrett,” Barnwell writes. “If they believe Johnson can help bring along cost-controlled talent on offense, focusing their spending on the defense would make sense.”
Garrett played in all 17 games for Cleveland this past season and finished the year with 14 sacks. The former Texas A&M Aggie was the number one overall pick in the 2017 draft and has had quite the career thus far. Garrett is a six-time Pro Bowler, four-time AP All-Pro and was the 2023 Defensive Player of the Year.
If the Bears were to swing a trade for the premier edge rusher, it would be the biggest deal they’ll have made since acquiring Khalil Mack. Garrett would be a much bigger impact player for the franchise than Mack was, but the move itself would be a similar decision to when they brought in Mack to turn a good defensive into a great one.
Barnwell also cites the fact that Chicago’s flexible cap space gives them a huge advantage if they are serious about being involved in the Garrett sweepstakes.
“With $65 million in cap space, (Chicago) could afford to add Garrett and still have the ability to address their offensive line in free agency,” Barnwell wrote.
Offensive line remains the biggest priority for the Bears front office to address with their resources this offseason. They will need to bring in three new guys upfront to help protect Caleb Williams ahead of his second NFL season which is no easy task. If Chicago can manage their assets properly, there is no reason why they can’t be involved in the trade talks surrounding Garrett moving forward.
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