Bears Still Searching on the Edge

Another potential edge rusher for the Bears came off the market before he ever really became an option.

The Jets restructured the contract of defensive end Carl Lawson to help free up cap space so they could eventually get defensive lineman Quinnen Williams a new deal, and pay for Aaron Rodgers' contract, Field Yates of ESPN reported

Williams also could have become a player the Bears might have been interested in but it would have been as a defensive tackle and not at end.

Jets DE Carl Lawson has agreed to a reworked deal, per source.

Lawson was due a non-guaranteed $15M, but is now due a base value of $9M, $8M of that is guaranteed. He has $3M more available in incentives.

The move creates $12.7M in 2023 cap space for the Jets.
— Field Yates (@FieldYates) May 18, 2023

Lawson's restructured deal means he'll likely stay put for now. He has 27 sacks in five seasons, four of them in Cincinnati.

The Jets were to pay Lawson $15 million this year, the last on his contract. He had a ruptured Achilles in 2021 but came back strong in 2022 with seven sacks.

Now they only pay Lawson $9 million for this year, $8 million guaranteed, and there are possible incentives worth $3 million according to the report.

Before, with no guaranteed money on the deal, the speculation was rampant they would just cut him or would trade him and the Bears have been on the lookout for edge rushers.

With all the guaranteed money now involved, they're not likely to be cutting or trading him. The change in structure lets them save $12.7 million.

Lawson and Za'Darius Smith had been two players thought of as possibilities at edge rusher for the Bears if they were released by their teams or even traded. But the Vikings traded Smith to Cleveland and now Lawson appears to be off the market.

Other free agent possibilities at edge rusher s include:

Colts free agent defensive end Yannick Ngakoue

Chiefs free agent defensive end Frank Clark

Browns free agent defensive end Jadeveon Clowney

Ravens free agent edge rusher Justin Houston

Dolphins free agent edge Melvin Ingram

Matt Lombardo of "Heavy" has reported the Bears are one of the teams interested in Houston. Although he is 34, he played for Bears coach Matt Eberflus two years in Indianapolis after starting his career in Kansas City while Bears GM Ryan Poles worked in the Chiefs personnel department. Lombardo said Buffalo Jacksonville and the New York Giants are "possible fits," as well.

Houston is in his 13th year but is coming off 9 1/2 sacks last season. He has had 21 1/2 sacks and 21 tackles for loss over the last three seasons.

Last year was the first in his career he wasn't considered a starter. The Bears could be interested in a player as a member of the pass rush rotation on the edge, if not as a starter.

It's been speculated by Pro Football Focus' Brad Spielberger that this might make backup edge Bryce Huff available, a player who was signed at a second-round restricted free agent tender as an undrafted free agent this year.

It doesn't make a lot of sense to sign him to a tender and then cut him but a trade would be something they might pursue in that instance.

Now that Carl Lawson is definitely staying in New York, wonder if Jets edge Bryce Huff - signed to a 2nd-round RFA tender this offseason - may want a larger role elsewhere in a contract year of his own

Had 36 QB pressures on just 173 pass rush reps in 2023, buried on depth chart
— Brad Spielberger, Esq. (@SpielbergerBrad) May 18, 2023

According to Sportradar, Huff has 7 1/2 sacks and seven tackles for loss and 37 total pressures for his career. He had 16 pressures last year. He has had 18 quarterback hits over the last two years.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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