The Chicago Bears added defensive tackle Grady Jarrett and defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency to give new defensive coordinator Dennis Allen pass-rushing help for the upcoming season.
However, general manager Ryan Poles made it clear in his press conference this month that as the Philadelphia Eagles showed in their Super Bowl run, the Bears couldn’t add enough pass rushers to their roster this offseason.
Cincinnati Bengals defensive end Trey Hendrickson has been linked to the Bears as a possible trade suitor this offseason. He’s been allowed to seek a trade as the Bengals spent vast resources extending wide receivers Tee Higgins and Ja’Marr Chase.
Hendrickson could hold out if he doesn’t receive a new deal from the Bengals after recording 35 sacks in the last two seasons.
Why the Cincinnati Bengals’ price is primed to go down
Logan Ulrich of NFL Trade Rumors came up with trade proposals for NFL teams regarding Hendrickson. Ulrich argued why Hendrickson would be cheaper than Cincinnati’s asking price of a first-round and third-round pick.
“The reason Hendrickson is on the trade block in the first place is because Cincinnati is nickel and diming him as he seeks to be paid like one of the most prolific sack artists of the past few years,” Ulrich wrote. “The contract complicates the situation. Teams seem willing to meet Hendrickson’s asking price on a new deal, which starts at $30 million a year and likely comes in much closer to $34 or $35 given the way the market is moving for top-end pass rushers.
“But giving up a huge contract on top of premium draft compensation for a 30-year-old defensive player is a tough ask for any team. Teams are mindful to pay for what a player is going to do, not what he has done, and while Hendrickson hasn’t shown any signs of slowing down, the cliff can hit abruptly once players cross the 30-year threshold.”
Ulrich pointed to the conditional third-round pick the New York Jets gave the Philadelphia Eagles for Haason Reddick and the second-round pick the Bears sent the Washington Commanders for Montez Sweat as more realistic examples of what the Bengals would receive for Hendrickson.
The Chicago Bears No. 39 pick for Trey Hendrickson?
Ulrich thinks the Bears could have Henrickson for their No. 39 pick in the 2025 draft.
“The Bears have the ammunition to go get Hendrickson, if they want,” Ulrich wrote. “They have four picks in the first three rounds, including an extra second-rounder from Carolina that they put on the table here. Even with all the spending this year, they’re still in good shape because of the advantages of having starting QB Caleb Williams on a rookie contract, even though he was the No. 1 pick.
“The goal is clearly to stack the roster around Williams as much as possible, and adding Hendrickson would help accomplish that.”
As I previously wrote before the Bears started adding help in free agency, adding Hendrickson to the roster (and reuniting him with Allen) would make the team a contender in the already tough NFC North. Trading for Henrickson now would make the Bears a Super Bowl contender if Caleb Williams flourishes with Johnson in Year 1.
Giving up a second-round pick for that kind of talent is a steal. However, the Bengals don’t seem primed to let him go for that at this point in the offseason.
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Chicago Bears’ Caleb Williams a big free agency winner, according to former NFL GM
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