Bear Digest

How the Edge Rusher Market Has Changed for Bears and Who's Left

With Khalil Mack and Maxx Crosby out of the picture, the Bears face an altered group of free agent edge rushers but there are always some who can pressure a passer.
Gene Chamberlain|
49ers defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos is part of a massive group of edge rushers looking for work, or at least it was massive.
49ers defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos is part of a massive group of edge rushers looking for work, or at least it was massive. | Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

In this story:

Chicago Bears

So much for the reunion, and for getting the Bears' defensive end problems addressed with an inexpensive option.

The free agency pool continued to be diminished around the league over the weekend as players returned to their teams on contracts, and now Khalil Mack is in this group. The Bears will not have the opportunity to bring back their former edge rusher after he signed for $18 million for one year with the Chargers. That is roughly what Spotrac.com had projected at and $4 million a year more than Pro Football Focus said.

The edge rush market should be more expensive than ever, and the Bears are going to have to be ready to pay for quality. Jeremy Fowler of ESPN now says they're not expected to make a splash at edge in free agency. Maybe they'll just wade into it.

In these last hours before free agency, there is always a late rush and signings. Players who other teams might have hoped would be in the open market turn up signed and retained by their team.

The edge rush position should still be loaded with available contributors as it always is. It’s basically a group of hired sack guns roving the NFL countryside, looking for work every offseason.

 The other great truth about free agency is there are always players who can rush the passer if a team wants to pay. Finding all-purposed defensive ends in free agency is more difficult, but someone to fit into a pass rush rotation and put heat on quarterbacks is usually available.

It might mean signing someone who is not a system fit or who has some other flaw, but there are rush men.

Obviously, now that Maxx Crosby has been traded and Mack signed,  the apple of every defensive coordinator's eye would be Trey Hendrickson. At projected market values of anywhere from $21 million to $30 million the Bears would find this difficult to manage but could do it. They might need to cut back on other additions.

Here is a revised look after teams started signing their own.

Good fits

Trey Hendrickson: His record for going after quarterbacks is better than Maxx Crosby's but his pay high as well. Hendrickson has 81 sacks, 13 1/2 or more four times, and back-to-back seasons with 17 1/2. He had four last year while playing only seven games and playing hurt (back) most of the season. If The Athletic projection is right, George McCaskey would have to forget about a new stadium at $33 million a year.

Joey Bosa: The Bills edge seems less a factor now without more than 6 1/2 sacks in a season since 2021 but in 10 seasons has 77 sacks and still stops the run well.

Denico Autry: A 6-5, 285-pound tackle and edge who would fit well for Allen's scheme, if he was younger but he's 35 now. He has 65 1/2 sacks in 11 years.

Yetur Gross-Matos: He hasn't developed the way the 49ers would have hoped with 17 sacks in six seasons. At 6-5, 265, his size and age (28) say he can be a contributor in a rotation, though, at the right price for the team.

Dre'Mont Jones: The Ravens edge/interior player is made for the Bears' right edge position at 6-3, 281. He stops the pass and run and has 37 1/2 sckas in seven years with a high total of seven sacks for a season.

Cam Jordan: Reports from New Orleans say he'll enter free agency. A reunion with Allen and new team at age 36? It's a mix that could work. He is the prototype Allen edge at 6-4, 287. Jordan has 12 sacks, and had 10 1/2 last year, his most since 2021 when playing under Allen. Spotrac.com estimated his value at $6.6 million, which wouldA  be a bargain if he can still be part of a rotation.

Jadeveon Clowney: He's more than a sack hunter as he has always been a decent run defender and fits size-wise at 6-5, 266. His 8 1/2 sacks and 9 1/2 in 2023 say he can still contribute at 33, and the price projection was $3.4 million from Spotrac.

Von Miller: At 6-3, 250ish, he isn't really a fit size-wise but he has been in this role of hired hand pass rusher for a while now and doesn't mind doing it. He'll be 37 in a few weeks and had nine sacks for Washington last year. Maybe Bruce Smith or Richard Dent are still available, too.

Charles Omenihu: At 6-5, 280, he's another fit size-wise and is only 28, but not the most productive player with 23 sacks in seven seasons with Houston, the 49ers and Chiefs. He went over four sacks only once in his career, in 2023 with KC.

Boye Mafe: Everyone raved about the Seahawks free agent and he is the right size at 6-4, 261. He's a 3-4 linebacker, though, not a 4-3 down-in-the-dirt edge. He has 20 sacks in four seasons. However, Spotrac sees his market value is very pleasing at a low, low $2.1 million.

D.J Wonnum, Panthers: Interesting. He's not a perfect fit at 258 but could do it and has 30 sacks in six seasons. At 6-5, he is the rangy type they like and projected at $6.25 million. He thought about the Bears when Matt Eberlus was there.

Jaelan Phillips: Much was made about him when he went to the Eagles from Miami but he had only two sacks in eight games there last year and has missed much of the last two seasons due to injuries. He has 28 sacks in five years, and hasn't had more than 8 1/2 since his rookie season of 2021. He had seven, 6 1/2, one, and five in his seasons since his rookie year. Spotrac has him at $17.3 million. At 6-5, 266, he is the right size, but the price isn't right for a team that spent so much on Dayo Odeyingbo for this position already.

Marcus Davenport: A total reclamation project, he hasn't been healthy in years but he's the right size at 285 and was only productive the Saints under Allen. He had 21 1/2 sacks in five Saints seasons under Allen, 3 1/2 sacks the last three injury-plagued seasons in Detroit and Minnesota. He'd be a good pickup at league minimum and if you have a good medic.

Emmanuel Ogbah: A good scheme fit at 6-4, 275 but 11 1/2 sacks in his last four season, including half a sack for the Jaguars in 13 games last year, put him in the reclamation projects. He had promise ... back in 2021 after two straight nine-sack seasons.

K'Lavon Chaisson: Borderline size at 6-3, 255 but after bombing out in Jacksonville in four years with five sacks, he has shown life the last two with five sacks in Vegas and seven for the AFC champs. Although he's a linebacker in New England, he has played defensive end in a 4-3 before and is projected at only $3 million.

Michael Danna: Too short and unproductive. And his price might be too high. But at least he played in a 4-3 and sometimes shows signs of life.

Non-Fits

Malcolm Koonce: Too small (6-3, 243).

Leonard Floyd: Been there, done that.

Samson Ebukam: Linebacker at 6-3, 245.

Arden Key: Would get creamed at 240 in this scheme.

A.J. Epenesa: A fit size-wise and still only 27, but dropped off the face of the earth quite a while ago.

Tyquan Lewis: At 6-3, 267 is fine, but is merely a sub who never made more than four sacks in eight years. An older Dominique Robinson.

Trevis Gipson: Great match, if it was still 2021.

Dominique Robinson: He showed signs of life in the playoffs for the Bears, give him that much. But it was too late.

Al-Quadin Muhammad: Fool me once...

More Chicago Bears News

X: BearsOnSI

Loading recommendations... Please wait while we load personalized content recommendations

Published | Modified
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.

Home/News