Bears Edge Pursuit Requires Closure

Sometimes coaches flat-out answer reporters' questions and more often than not dance around them as expertly as halfbacks side-stepping a defensive end on a toss play.

Bears coach Matt Eberflus didn't exactly give a stiff-arm to a questioner at minicamp about whether they would sign or trade for a defensive end. In fact, he came extremely close to actually saying yes, without doing it.

"You know I think that is one position we are looking at and potentially we could get that done," he said.

"Could" being the key word.

Actually, something else Eberflus said might have pushed the needle more to the yes side.

Asked about how he might deploy end DeMarcus Walker and also Rasheem Green, Eberflus recalled the days in Indianapolis when he had a top-10 defense all the time.

"We've had a couple big ends before in the past that are really good run setters," Eberflus said. "They (Walker and Green) do a good job with that. You can decide to put them to the tight end, away from the tight end, you put them to the right side or the left side based on the team, where they like to run the football. So we've done various things with that.

"And with those guys that are bigger ends, you kick them inside on the third down package, which we've done that with some guys and had some success there, too."

It makes sense to move both Green and Walker inside because both have rushed from there with past teams besides going off the edge.

The problem with this plan is what it could mean for Walker and Green in terms of reps played on defense. Start sliding defensive ends in to tackle from the edge and they can wind up playing far more snaps then other defensive linemen.

They'll also be playing from a more physical spot in the line, where they can get worn down easier.

If this is a plan, the Bears absolutely have to bring in another defensive end. They won't get by with just four, with Dominqiue Robinson and Trevis Gipson rotating in with Walker and Green kicking inside.

Walker has never played more than 52% of his team's defensive snaps. When he did play 52% in 2021, it was the only time in his career he's been over 43%.

Green has been used more extensively, between 51% and 67% of defensive snaps from 2019-2021 with Seattle and 53% with Houston last year.

Even if both up their play totals this year, and Gipson and Robinson play, it still will leave a demand for more reps from another defensive end.

In theory, this could be filled by one of their defensive tackles. Justin Jones played some end at the end of last year. But it makes much more sense to acquire another one and go with nine defensive linemen on the roster. This total of nine includes tackles Andrew Billings, Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens.

The question seems to be more one of who at this point rather than whether they would do it.

Here are options still available. It's like a floating list of names that never goes away and won't until probably late in training camp as teams look for bargains.

Sign and Play

Yannick Ngakoue

The 6-foot-2, 246-pound former Colts edge rusher is the only NFL player with at least eight sacks over each of the last seven seasons and two weeks ago ESPN's Adam Schefter reported he had switched agents to Drew Rosenhaus. Ngakoue was reported by the Tribune's Brad Biggs as seeking a deal for $8 million to $10 million a year but also has said in the past he wants a multi-year deal rather than the one-year deal many of these hired hand pass rushers get. Ngakoue looks like the one lone sure thing as a pass rusher on the market and is only 28 but the team bringing him in would be recognizing he is only there to get sacks. He isn't a run defender in any way, shape or form. There are some questions whether Ngakoue is anything more than a sack hunter. He had 33 quarterback hits in his third year but only got more than 16 one other time. Still, he does get pressure and that can't be denied. In the last five seasons he has never had less than 26 pressures. He played for the Colts last season, but not when Eberflus was coach.

30-Somethings

Jadeveon Clowney

Always mentioned among great rushers, he has never had double digit sacks. Clowney did have nine or 9 1/2 sacks three times in his nine years but in the other six years had a combined total of 15 1/2. , had 9 or more sacks three times in nine years. Clowney had a whopping 48 pressures in 2018 and 32 in 2021 but in other years between didn't approach those numbers. This would look like a risk-reward situation. He's only 30 now so age isn't really a factor on a short-term contract.

Justin Houston

Houston might be the ideal player for the Bears to sign even though he's 34. He has had eight sacks or more five the last six seasons and doesn't seem to age. Four times he's been in double digits for sacks and had 9 1/2 sacks last year with a team-high 17 QB hits. The 6-3, 270-pounder played for Eberflus two seasons with the Colts, and was part of the Chiefs organization when Poles was in their front office. The problem is players like him who change teams at his age are hunting for immediate Super Bowl potential and the Bears haven't advanced that far in their rebuild. So competition for his services after 111 1/2 career sacks might be high.

Carlos Dunlap

The 6-6, 285-pound former Chiefs and Seahawks player has played 13 years and still produces consistent pressure. He had 26, 21 and 20 pressures the last three years, although his sacks tailed off to four last year. He has always played heavy amounts of reps and the Chiefs had him on the field for more than 50% of the plays when he was active last year.

Jason Pierre-Paul

Now 34 after 13 seasons, he insists he isn't retiring but his production has been declining. He went from a stretch of 46 sacks in five seasons to 2 1/2 and three sacks.

Robert Quinn

When Quinn was dealt last year by the Bears, they spoke glowingly of him but you have to wonder how well it went over when he didn't show up for OTAs, one voluntary minicamp and one mandatory minicamp in Eberflus' first season. Also, you have to wonder what player you'd be getting, the one who set the Bears sack record of 18 1/2 in 2021 or the one who had two sacks in 2020 and one sack last year.

William Gholston

Now 32, he's never had more than 4 1/2 sacks and since 2018 has had more than 17 pressures just once. He is a player who would fit the Bears defense if they were looking for an all-around type of end but they have those players. They need a sack man.

Kyle Van Noy

More of a 3-4 outside linebacker than 4-3 end, Van Noy came into his own with New England after struggling in Detroit. He had 31 1/2 sacks for the last six years for the Patriots, Dolphins and Chargers after doing nothing with the Lions.

Injury Risks

Trey Flowers

The former Lions defensive end is 29 and hasn't played more than seven games since 2019 due to an assortment of injuries. He did have a stretch of seasons from 2016-2019 in Detroit with 6 1/2 to 7 1/2 sacks each year but the sack spigot got turned off in 2020 and he hasn't had more than two since the 2019 season. He wound up on IR each of the last three years.

Duwuane Smoot

Still only 28 and the kind of all-around type end at 6-3, 264 who could be of interest to the Bears, he had 22 1/2 sacks over the last four seasons. He had 19 pressures last year and seasons with 31 and 30 pressures. The problem with all of this is he suffered a torn Achilles in Week 16 of the 2022 season. Any team signing him could be expecting too much to think he'd be 100% for this year, but it's possible he might be at some point during the seasons.

Let's Make a Deal

Chase Young

Players in this category are under contract and possible trade acquisitions. Young would probably only be worth considering if they had assurances he is back to full health. He also is essentially unproven even if he is full healthy, despite being the second pick of the 2020 draft by the Commanders. He had 7 1/2 sacks, 12 QB hits and 24 pressures in his first year, wasn't having a particularly good second year with 1 1/2 sacks in nine games and then suffered a severe knee injury -- a torn right ACL and also ruptured patellar tendon. He returned last season for three games and had one pressure, while looking nothing like the player he'd been. What do you trade for a player with such a health risk involved as he enters a contract year?

Bryce Huff

The backup Jets pass rusher has never been used extensively but when he did he was extremely effective last year at putting heat on QBs. He had 16 pressures but played only 20% of the defensive plays when he was active for 14 games. With very limited playing itme, Huff has 7 1/2 sacks in three seasons. He had eight and 10 QB hits the last two years. He is another player in a contract year.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

Add us as a preferred source on Google