LAKE FOREST, Ill. — A look at the Bears’ 2024 roster and their need for another pass rusher becomes clear. At least, it should be.
General manager Ryan Poles, however, wants to evaluate the current group before adding another veteran to the defensive line.
“It’s our job as a front office to look at every option we can to improve our football team,” Poles said Friday at Halas Hall as the veterans reported for training camp. “We feel really comfortable with the guys we have on our roster right now, and I’m excited, we’re both excited, to see [defensive line coach Travis Smith] And [defensive coordinator Eric Washington] “We’ve really gotten our hands on those players and developed them as we’ve gone through training camp. But we’ll always have an eye on the list of players that we could potentially bring in.”
The Bears lost defensive tackle Justin Jones to the Arizona Cardinals in free agency. Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue also left the club in free agency but has yet to sign.
The Poles made minor changes to address the pressure on the pass rush this offseason by signing Jacob Martin and drafting Austin Booker in the fifth round. Without Ngakoue or a similar replacement, the Bears’ defensive end is down to Martin, Booker and DeMarcus Walker behind Pro Bowler Montez Sweat.
Anyway, the Poles don’t do it. Currently Think of it as a problem.
“I don’t really see it as a defensive end issue,” Poles said. “Our mindset is always how can we make a position group as good as possible and as deep as possible. So, like I said, we really lean on Travis and Eric to continue to develop the players that we have and see, especially when we put protections on, how they perform. We saw some really encouraging things during OTAs. But we all know this game is played with full protections, so we want to see that process happen.”
Re-hiring Ngakoue would be a good idea for the Bears. He knows the system and came in late in the season after Sweat arrived before breaking his ankle. The Bears’ athletic staff has been involved in his rehab, and Poles believes last summer’s signing of the veteran pass rusher paid off.
“In terms of evaluation, I think once we got Montez, we saw the sack rate go up for everybody,” Poles said of Ngakoue’s impact last season. “So I think it made everybody better. But I really enjoyed our time with him. I think he did a good job. He brought some leadership. So that was a positive.”
The Bears will likely look to add to their defensive line. As he always does, Poles will wait for prices to reach his value before making an addition.
For now, the Bears will enter camp hoping Walker, Booker and Martin can provide enough pass-rushing power against Sweat. If they can’t, Chicago’s rising defense could stall before reaching the heights it wants.
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