Bear Digest

How Bears repair defense without adding a costly edge rusher

The Bears can definitely use one more edge rusher but a more effective way to fix their overall defense is to sign a player at another position.
Gene Chamberlain|
Detroit Lions defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike sacks Andy Dalton in 2021. Onwuzurike is among the top available D-line free agents.
Detroit Lions defensive tackle Levi Onwuzurike sacks Andy Dalton in 2021. Onwuzurike is among the top available D-line free agents. | Kirthmon F. Dozier / USA TODAY NETWORK

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Chicago Bears

The idea of the Bears trading for an edge rusher like Myles Garrett or Trey Hendrickson came up during Super Bowl week and it's a real stretch.

The high cost related to a second edge rusher ranking among the best at making sacks is the reason.

This is especially the case when GM Ryan Poles already committed the most money of his allotted salary cap for any single player to edge rusher Montez Sweat.

Instead, if the Bears are looking at a position in free agency on the defensive front for a free agent it should be at defensive tackle.

Depending on the player, it might be expensive but the fastest way to restore the bite in this Bears defense is by improving their defensive tackle situation.

To do it will require Ryan Poles to swallow his pride a bit and admit Zacch Pickens hasn't been the find they thought he'd be in the draft's third round, but there's every reason to think Poles would have the backing of coach Ben Johnson if he sought to bolster the position..

In fact, Johnson was the one who brought up run defense during a private talk with media. It came at a point when he was addressing the pass rush.

"If you are not stopping the run, OK, if you're not stopping the run it's going to help the quarterback play better," Johnson said. "Because he has that to lean on as well."

It's a tool in disrupting the quarterback but after seeing the way Philadelphia benefited from such a strong running game, it's obvious a defense must stop the run first. The Bears are an example. They plummeted to 28th against the run from first. Johnson even noted how it was much easier running on them and moving it in 2024 because defensive tackle Andrew Billings was out injured.

It's critical to stop the run and force teams to pass. The Lions knew it when Johnson worked there. Five of the first 10 draft picks the Lions made when Brad Holmes became GM were defensive linemen.

In 2024, 10 of the top 11 defenses at limiting rushing yards made the playoffs, nine of the top 11 in yards allowed per rush made the playoffs. Only two of the bottom 18 teams at preventing rushing yards made the playoffs. Those teams were the Commanders and Rams.

Yet four of the bottom six at preventing passing yards made the playoffs.

So stopping the run is critical. It makes offenses one-dimensional. The Bears allowed too many dimensions in 2024.

They need another defensive tackle who can be both a run and pass rush threat, but especially a run stopper. Gervon Dexter shows great promise as an interior pass rusher but struggles against the run.

Drafting someone like this might require two to three more years to develop because Dexter himself is taking this long.

Since the Bears think Dexter is developing but has been inconsistent as a run stopper, a third defensive tackle who can both rush the passer and stop the run would be ideal.

When Billings was healthy in 2023 there was another ingredient to their ability to stopping the run so well and that was veteran defensive tackle Justin Jones. He left in free agency. When the Bears defense had Jones stopping the run with Billings, and also providing some pass rush, they were the NFL's No. 1 run defense.

There are DTs out there in both the draft and free agency who can help this way, including one very familiar to Johnson. Here are three in free agency for the Bears to consider.

Lions DT Levi Onwuzurike

Projected at an affordable $4.5 million a year by Spotrac.com, this seems a bit unrealistic and Pro Football Focus says $8.25 million a year, Onwuzurike is a 3-technique and had a 12.5% pass-rush win rate that put him in the top 15 according to PFF. Only injuries have held him back, and the Lions would seem an unlikely return destination because they already signed Alim McNeill to an extension at this position.

Eagles DT Milton Williams

This is the high end choice. He had six sacks last season and PFF points out he as ever gone over 50% of snaps played or his numbers would be higher. Williams is not viewed yet as high-level run stopper but someone similar to Dexter. This would be costly as PFF projects he'll cost $21 million a year. This would be a very serious attempt to focus on the defense because of the cost but Williams is just entering his prime years as an interior defender.

Bengals DT B.J. Hill

A true veteran at seven years in the league and 29 years old, Hill would be a huge help because he is equally adept stopping the run and the pass according to PFF grades. He was graded 30th of 219 defensive tackles last year by PFF and had 23 1/2 sacks with 29 tackles for loss in his first seven years. This would be a less expensive but ideal acquisition at $10.5 million a year per PFF and $9 million a year via Spotrac.com projections. At 6-3, 311, Hill is at  size where he could play either the 3-technique or nose and gives the Bears a perfect addition for a three-man defensive tackle rotation capable of stopping the run first and forcing the pass.

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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.