To the surprise of absolutely no one, Jeremy Fowler of ESPN confirmed that the Chicago Bears' brass is aware of one primary roster deficiency: defensive end.
The Bears have had a busy offseason, what with adding the likes of wide receiver Keenan Allen, tight end Gerald Everett, offensive lineman Ryan Bates, and the crown jewels of this past draft: quarterback Caleb Williams and wide receiver Rome Odunze.
One area that still needs to be addressed is the defensive end position. The Bears and Ryan Poles moved at the trade deadline last season to acquire former Washington Commanders' defensive end Montez Sweat. That move paid immediate dividends, as the Bears catapulted from a mediocre defense to a top-three unit by several metrics.
According to #NFL insider @JFowlerESPN the Chicago Bears are “still looking at edge rusher. They know they probably need one more guy. They’re sort of waiting, to see what develops.” They’re looking to add “a bargain” at DE later this offseason.
— Ben Devine (@Chicago_NFL) June 3, 2024
Last year, the Bears went the mercenary route when they signed journeyman Yannick Ngakoue to a one-year, $11 million deal. Ngakoue was a disappointment, and his season concluded early after a broken ankle sidelined him in December. His four sacks were a career low, and the Bears intend to go a similar route but hope for a different result.
The free agent defensive end pool was already shallow. Still, two names worth monitoring as the Bears continue their offseason program are former New York Jets defensive end Carl Lawson and the familiar face of Ngakoue.
After signing with the Jets following a successful stint with the Cincinnati Bengals, Carl Lawson saw his playing time diminish last season. After starting 17 games in 2022 and registering seven sacks, Lawson only appeared in six games last season (0 starts) and failed to register a sack for New York. Turning 29 at the end of this month, Lawson would be another veteran presence in a relatively inexperienced defensive end room.
Ngakoue is another option for the Bears and remains a strong possibility the further the offseason carries on. The veteran, who failed to register fewer than eight sacks in his first seven seasons as a pro, could only dirty the quarterback's jersey four times last season before breaking his ankle in Week 14. That said, before his injury in Week 14, Ngakoue was a player who was starting to pop after the addition of Sweat.
Behind Montez Sweat, the Bears are dangerously thin in experience and production. DeMarcus Walker is a solid, if unspectacular, cog on the defensive line but hardly capable of carrying the brunt of pass rush responsibility. Austin Booker is a high-upside rookie but incredibly raw, and players like Dominique Robinson and Jacob Martin are back-end rotational players at best. It bears to reason that signing both Lawson and Ngakoue isn't out of the question considering the paper-thin depth of the position.
Last year, the Bears signed Ngakoue on Aug. 4, so it wouldn't be a surprise for Ryan Poles to take the first week of training camp to assess the position before deciding on a veteran.
