Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo are going to be the top two edge rushers for the Chicago Bears in 2025, but the team might want to add another player to the group for depth, while also adding more competition to the mix.
Many Bears fans and analysts are hoping general manager Ryan Poles takes a big swing and tries to trade for Cincinnati Bengals pass rusher Trey Hendrickson, but his age (he’s 30) and his contract demands (he wants to be one of the higher-paid edges in the NFL) make him a bit of a reach.
Chicago might be wise to call the Arizona Cardinals about Zaven Collins, who is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
Collins brings a rare hybrid skill set — he’s capable of playing inside linebacker and as an edge. Considering Chicago’s current linebacking group needs more depth coupled with the team’s needs at pass rusher, Collins could provide both immediate and long‑term flexibility.
Trade Proposal Sends Zaven Collins to the Chicago Bears for 2 Day 3 Picks
Collins was selected 16th overall by the Cardinals in the 2021 NFL Draft out of Tulsa, following an outstanding college career that earned him the Nagurski, Bednarik and Lombardi awards. His rookie season saw him logging 25 total tackles (one for loss) across 17 games (six starts), as the Cardinals experimented with him as an off-ball linebacker. Though not dominant early, his versatility and physical traits were definitely on display from day one.
By 2022, Collins became a full-time starter (16 games), amassing 100 total tackles, (11 for loss) 2.0 sacks, six passes defensed and a 30-yard pick-six.
After that season, the Cardinals moved him to edge rusher, the position he has played in 2023 and 2024. Across those two seasons on the outside, he totaled 8.5 sacks (3.5 in 2023, 5.0 in 2024). Two of his 5.0 sacks last season came against the Bears, so QB Caleb Williams likely remembers him well.
Collins has also been one of the Cardinals’ most durable defenders, playing in 67 of 68 possible games with 56 starts. He inked a two-year, $14 million extension in August of 2024, with a base salary of $3.8 million and a cap hit of $6.05 million in 2025, make him a very affordable option for Chicago.
Here’s a trade proposal we put together that would likely sway Arizona:
- Bears would receive: Zaven Collins
- Cardinals would receive: A 2026 4th-round pick and a 2026 conditional 6th-round pick that would escalate to a 5th if Collins logs more than 8.0 sacks.
More on What Collins Could Bring to the Table
In Arizona, Collins’s impact as an edge rusher was modest, prompting analysts like Bleacher Report’s Gary Davenport and the folks at SI to suggest the Cardinals could move him. Still, his sack totals grew each year he rushed the passer, and his athleticism and versatility are intriguing traits.
The Cardinals also spent big money this offseason on Josh Sweat, and they have Baron Browning back and BJ Ojulari in the mix, so they have several solid edges already. Arizona may not want to part with him, but Poles should still give Cardinals GM Monti Ossenfort a call and ask.
In Chicago under defensive coordinator Dennis Allen, Collins could thrive in third-down situations, or as a paired blitzer. Maybe Allen and company move him back to LB in certain packages — the options are abundant with a player like Collins.
As it stands now, the depth behind Sweat and Odeyingbo includes Austin Booker, a 2024 fifth-rounder (144th overall) from Kansas, veterans Dominique Robinson and Daniel Hardy, and Jamree Kromah and Jereme Robinson, both of whom signed future/reserve deals.
Considering his cost and potential, Collins would be an intriguing player to add to that group.
