Bears general manager Ryan Poles picked only one pass rusher, Shemar Turner, which some draft observers deemed a mistake that they may need to remedy in free agency. Even while the Bears’ lack of running back help in the selection until Round 7 has sparked criticism from a wide range of draft pundits, their failure in another area has not gone unnoticed.
Both Eric Edholm of NFL.com and the staff of Pro Football Network have identified the Bears’ need for edge rusher help as an evident area that they have overlooked. PFN stated in a post that the one unsigned free agent who can help the Bears the most is pass rusher Za’Darius Smith. If Smith signs with the Bears, he will have played for every team in the NFC North, which PFN finds amusing. Clay Harbor of the Chicago Sports Network also mentioned Smith, noting that Matthew Judon is still available and was wanted by the Poles in a trade last summer. The Bears did acquire Shemar Turner to their defensive line, and he can play on the edge or at defensive tackle, much as Dayo Odeyingbo can go inside in pass rush situations and Gervon Dexter can move outside.
“Za’Darius Smith has played for every NFC North team except the Chicago Bears,” the publication noted. “The Bears have a solid starting group on the defensive line, thanks to free agent additions Grady Jarrett and Dayo Odeyingbo and second-rounder Shemar Turner,” according to PFN. “However, the depth is a little thin, particularly on the edge behind Odeyingbo and Montez Sweat. ” Adding Smith might not only limit the starters’ snap counts, but also allow defensive coordinator Dennis Allen to experiment with different pass rush packages.
In his post-draft power rankings, NFL.com’s Erik Edholm ranked the Bears 16th and mentioned the defensive line as an area that needed improvement.
“We need another pass rusher,” he wrote.
“The defensive line also received some potentially nice help in Shemar Turner, even if there was disappointment in not getting another pass rusher,” the writer said. The Bears did sign undrafted free agent edge rusher Xavier Carlton, a 6-foot-6, 275-pound California native with 19 career sacks.
It appears unlikely that Smith will go 4-for-4 in the NFC North.
According to Overthecap.com, the Bears have spent $4 million less than the salary cap. This sum did not include the extra money for rookie contracts. So they’re unlikely to go on a spending spree with the cap by pursuing a defensive end who signed a two-year, $23 million contract last year.
Even teams that rely on defensive line rotations may only utilize eight or nine defensive linemen on game days.
The Bears have already reached their maximum, so any free agency additions would have to come from the bargain barrel.
Leave a Reply