Bear Digest

Bears still can't afford to look past edge rusher in Round 1 of draft

The signing of center Drew Dalman addresses a major need but before the Bears even think about a running back or some other position at No. 10 they need edge rush help.
Gene Chamberlain|
Mykel Williams, Georgia's defensive end, is one of the top edge rushers in the draft and the Bears need edge rush help.
Mykel Williams, Georgia's defensive end, is one of the top edge rushers in the draft and the Bears need edge rush help. | Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

The idea of free agency for Ryan Poles and also for any Bears GM of the past was to give themselves the option of taking the best available player in the draft.

Signing Drew Dalman alone fails to do this, and the Bears would be slighting their defense badly if they simply grabbed running back Ashton Jeanty or a tight end who they don't even need in Round 1 in April.

They do need a running back badly, too, but the improvement on their offensive line can make many running backs better.

DREW DALMAN SIGNING GIVES BEARS LINE MORE HELP BUT WORK STILL AWAITS THEM

They now have a gigantic hole on defense. It's been this way since defensive end Demarcus Walker was released, and they really didn't have the issue adequately addressed even when they had Walker.

They're short on edge rushers. These don't grow on trees and they need to take one in Round 1.

It's not even a question of quality right now but bodies along with quality. Austin Booker is not a starting NFL edge but that's who rates their No. 2 edge right now. They saw what happens if there's no one to take pressure of Montez Sweat. Their big defensive weapon becomes ordinary.

While the edge rush crop in this free agency has been labeled deep by numerous draft analysts, from Trevor Sikkema of Pro Football Focus to Daniel Jeremiah of NFL Network, to ESPN's Mel Kiper, they do not have the flexibility to pursue a running back in Round 1 because the top-end talent needed to balance out their pass rush is absent.

Bringing in even a first-round pick at edge rusher is no guarantee they'll experience a better shot at finding a standout player. However, it's always going to be better than using their two second-round picks or their third-round pick in an attempt to hope to find someone truly elite.

Finding an edge rusher is still possible in free agency but the top two vanished within the first few minutes of free agency.

They could hunt through players who don't really fit their scheme at defensive end because they're too small, like 240-pound Haason Reddick, Arizona's 240-pound Baron Browning or 250-pound Raiders player Malcolm Koonce.

Joey Bosa or Chase Young are bigger defensive ends still available in free agency who would be Bears fits.
Joey Bosa or Chase Young are bigger defensive ends still available in free agency who would be Bears fits. | Troy Taormina-Imagn Images

There are still potential fits among bigger edges like Dayo Odeyingbo, Joey Bosa, Chase Young or DeMarcus Lawrence and all edge rushers left are going to come at a high rate with flaws.

The money is dwindling now, too, after $28 million in bonus prorated for a three-year contract. That and the salary eat into the $40 million the Bears had left coming into free agency.

Until the Bears have their need for two defensive ends filled, they can't even begin to think about a first-round running back.

Fortunately for them, the Raiders will need a running back and have a choice ahead of them at No. 6. They won't get the chance to be tempted.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.