The Chicago Bears struck gold when general manager Ryan Poles decided to trade for Montez Sweat during the 2023 season and now, it is one step closer to possessing the four-down pass rush threat needed for Matt Eberflus' defense to succeed at a high level.

Gervon Dexter Sr. looks like he could be the guy at 3T and Andrew Billings has nose tackle locked down, but there is still a big hole on the opposite side of Sweat. With the Bears needing help along the interior o-line, receiver, safety, tight end, and potentially cornerback, it's safe to say defensive end is the bigger priority of the two positions. 

And, when discussing priority among the team as a whole, it should be the top priority heading into free agency. Unless something happens with Justin Fields, of course.

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Jonathan Greenard makes a lot of sense for the Chicago Bears

Per ESPN, Greenard finished 2023 tied for the sixth-highest pass rush win rate and he tied for the fifth-most sacks (13) out of a true pass set, according to Pro Football Focus. Speaking of PFF, Greenard came in at No. 38 on their top-200 list of impending free agents.

He's a true three-point defensive end that can also play the run. Per Spotrac, he's projected to earn around $13.4 million per year, which won't break the bank – especially the Bears' account.

Greenard is in his prime and would be a good fit in the Bears defense, as PFF's Brad Spielberger recently pointed out:

Greenard has super long arms and is a good lateral athlete who can hold up well at the point of attack while demonstrating a deeper bag of pass-rush moves in 2023. He brings a motor that Chicago is looking for, and the Bears could further solidify one of the best run defenses in the NFL while also adding pass-rush juice.

ESPN's Matt Bowen, an analyst and former player, thinks the same.

General manager Ryan Poles made the trade last season to acquire defensive end Montez Sweat, which changed the Bears' defensive setup. Now Poles could add another edge defender in Greenard, who is explosive off the ball and makes plays late in the down with his fantastic effort level. Last season with the Texans, Greenard had 12.5 sacks and a 22% pass rush win rate (sixth in the league). And his instincts show up as a run defender, too.

It's clear these two are a fit, as more and more analysts are jumping on board.

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There's one drawback with this idea

And that's the fact the Bears already have $44.9 million of their cap space –or 18.16%– allocated to the defensive line in 2024. Poles is a pretty shrewd general manager, so it's more than likely that number stands out to him, especially when considering it's the sixth-highest allocation in the NFL.

At the same time, while the defensive line is important for all teams, it's vital for the Bears, as mentioned earlier. Eberflus' defense simply doesn't work unless he can get home with four rushers on a consistently often basis. Therefore, this could be the exception for Poles. 

There's also Montez Sweat's contract, which has huge base salaries attached to it. Poles could manipulate that contract to lessen this year's allocation (as well as Greenard's first-year cap hit) to make the numbers look better. But, as we know, a restructure means borrowing from the future, which isn't the best idea for a non-contender like the Bears.

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Ultimately, if the Bears want to make a splash on the defensive line, it's going to be in free agency. The draft has some good EDGE prospects, but the Bears will likely be focused on quarterback and receiver if they stay at their current first-round spots. 

Plus, as we saw last year, a proven veteran is more likely to come in and make an immediate impact than a rookie.

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