Bear Digest

Bears dial it down with trade for edge rusher from the Browns

Joe Tyron-Shoyinka isn't exactly a household word and it seems apparent the Bears settled for depth at the edge position over quality, among other things.
Gene Chamberlain|
New Bears defensive end Joe Tryon-Shoyinka already shows he knows what's important in Chicago by trying to chase down Aaron Rodgers.
New Bears defensive end Joe Tryon-Shoyinka already shows he knows what's important in Chicago by trying to chase down Aaron Rodgers. | Barry Reeger-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

 Any Bears fan told Monday that GM Ryan Poles was going to trade Tuesday for a Cleveland defensive end would have had their hair standing on end.

No, it wasn't Myles Garrett.

Instead, the player they brought in to fortify depth is Browns backup edge Joe Tyron Shoyinka. They gave up a sixth-round pick for him but also got a seventh-rounder from the Browns back in return.

In other words, it's a low-impact, minor move for some depth. They  definitely need the depth after season-ending injuries to Shemar Turner and Dayo Odeyingbo and a high ankle sprain suffered by Dominic Robinson.

Yet, you'd expect something more considering the player they need to replace signed a three-year, $48 million deal. That's Odeyingbo, who hasn't been a success as an edge rusher at all.

Tryon-Shoyinka stands 6-foot-5, 260 pounds and is 26 years old. He was a  first-round draft pick by Tampa Bay, the last pick of Round 1 in 2021 out of Washington. Last month against the Steelers, Tryon Shoyinka suffered hip injury and left the game in the third quarter. He hasn't had double-digit defensive snaps in any games this season while playing behind edge rushers like Garrett and Aleex Wright.

Tryon-Shoyinka has 15 sacks in five NFL seasons, non this year. He was a starter and sometimes a rotational player for the Buccaneers from 2021-24 but his option wasn't picked up. He went into free agency after 138 total tackles in Tampa Bay, 21 for loss.

Although Tryon-Shoyinka had relatively few sacks, he did start his career effectively  overall with 49 pressures his first two years total despite starting only 22 of the 34 games. After that, he has had only 27 pressures in two-plus seasons.

This season Tryon-Shoyinka has recorded three pressures without a sack but his playing time is way down with the Browns with just 31 plays on defense and 58 on special teams.

The Bears are apparently laying the major responsibility for replacing Odeyingbo on Booker, who had a strip-sack Sunday in his first action this season.

Tryon-Shoyinka signed with the Browns for this season and $4.75 million, $4.19 million of it guaranteed. So he will be a free agent after this season and could be a rental-type player.

It was an underwhelming signing but it's probably incorrect to call it an unnecessary one because of their lack of depth overall at the position. The good news for Bears fans is it says they're really sold on Booker as an edge force for the future.

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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.