General manager Ryan Poles’ decisions between today and the start of training camp will tell us much about what the Chicago Bears think of this team before the 2023 season. The Bears have upgraded the roster from last year’s team, which was the league’s worst. But they still need to find help at the defensive end. A report recently came out on the type of deal that could put Yannick Ngakoue in a Bears uniform this fall.
Ngakoue has been a popular choice among Bears fans who want to see the team upgrade their pass rush. Most of the top candidates coming into free agency have signed with other teams. Ngakoue has been a holdout, and a new report by Brad Biggs with the Chicago Tribune explains why.
What Yannick Ngakoue would cost the Chicago Bears in 2023
According to Biggs, Ngakoue is asking for a price nearly double what Frank Clark, who the Denver Broncos signed, ended up getting:
“Ngakoue recently said on SiriusXM NFL Radio that he hopes to join a contender. In mid-June, three months after free agency opened, the list of suitors has probably been reduced. One source with a team monitoring the edge rusher market said, as of a month ago, Ngakoue was seeking a contract in the range of $8 million to $10 million per year. Recent market activity for Floyd ($7 million base salary) and Clark ($5.5 million base) has been below that, and both veterans signed one-year deals.”
That seems greedy when looking at Clark and Floyd. But one must consider the deal the Bears gave DeMarcus Walker. Walker is expected to be a rotational player, and he’s coming off a season where he had his best season sack performance with seven. Before the 2022 season, Walker averaged recording 2.5 sacks a season. According to Spotrac, the Bears are giving Walker $7 million a year. The Bears might have bought his contract high.
Ngakoue’s season sack average since he joined the league is 8.1 sacks a season. Would an extra million a year be worth it for that production? Possibly, although one must remember Ngakoue struggles in run defense.
It’s interesting to note here Poles was not willing to sign those other named defensive ends at a bargain. He has said publicly the Bears need better defensive ends on this team. If he’s not willing to pay now, Poles likely doesn’t feel this team is a true contender, and he’d rather watch this team develop before drafting or signing help next offseason.
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