National media outlet says Bears are best fit one of the top remaining NFL free agents
The Chicago Bears don't appear to be done building their roster this offseason. Chicago general manager Ryan Poles made it clear after the 2023 NFL Draft that the Bears have money to spend this summer and they could still add some players to their roster ahead of training camp. “Camp’s a long ways away," said […]
The Chicago Bears don't appear to be done building their roster this offseason.
Chicago general manager Ryan Poles made it clear after the 2023 NFL Draft that the Bears have money to spend this summer and they could still add some players to their roster ahead of training camp.
“Camp’s a long ways away," said Poles after the draft. "We’ll stay on our toes and if something presents itself we’ll be able to do that. We’ll be able to do it financially as well.”
The Bears could specifically use another edge rusher. And one of the available free-agent edge rushers would be a perfect fit for Chicago according to Pro Football Network.
PFN recently named the Bears as the best fit for free-agent pass rusher Justin Houston.
Houston previously played under Bears head coach Matt Eberflus with the Indianapolis Colts (when Eberflus was the defensive coordinator). Houston also played for the Kansas City Chiefs when Poles was working in KC's front office.
From Pro Football Network: Eberflus was the Colts’ head coach when Indy signed Justin Houston in 2019. Given that the Bears still need defensive end help, Houston could be an option for the Bears, who didn’t use any draft capital on the EDGE and project to start Trevis Gipson and free agent acquisition DeMarcus Walker.
At age 34, Houston might prefer to land with a contender. But Chicago has the most cap space and could probably make a trek to the Windy City worth his while. Houston might not be able to convert 15 pressures into 9.5 sacks again, but he’d be a valuable veteran presence for a young Bears defense.
There's plenty of familiarity between Houston and the Bears so it wouldn't be a surprise if this is a move that Chicago seriously considers making.
If the Bears sign Houston, they'll be getting a 34-year-old edge rusher that's averaged 8.5 sacks over the last six seasons. That wouldn't be a bad summer pickup for a Bears team that still has some roster holes to address.
