Chicago Bears named a logical landing spot for former first-round pick
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles said earlier this offseason that he's still looking for ways to enhance the roster. Poles specifically mentioned that Chicago could add a pass rusher via either a trade or free agency. “We’re working on it, we don’t stop working and looking at different avenues to bring players in,” said […]
Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles said earlier this offseason that he's still looking for ways to enhance the roster.
Poles specifically mentioned that Chicago could add a pass rusher via either a trade or free agency.
“We’re working on it, we don’t stop working and looking at different avenues to bring players in,” said Poles in May during an appearance on 670 The Score’s Bernstein & Holmes Show. “There are some options, potentially trade options. There’s also some guys on the street still that can potentially come in and help us. We’re kind of looking at everything right now, maybe something will happen sooner rather than later.”
One option for Chicago could be Washington Commanders edge rusher Chase Young.
Young, the No. 2 overall selection in the 2020 NFL Draft, had his fifth-year option declined by the Commanders this offseason. As a result, he'll be a free agent after the 2023 season, which is a big reason why Washington could look to trade the former Pro Bowler.
The former Ohio State star hasn't lived up to the hype so far during his first three years in the NFL, but that can mostly be attributed to injuries.
Young played in 15 games as a rookie in 2020 and showed elite potential as a pass rusher, totaling 7.5 sacks and four forced fumbles.
Unfortunately for Young, he's played in only 12 games over the last two seasons. The primary culprit for Young's missed time on the field is the torn ACL he suffered in Week 10 of the 2021 NFL season.
If Young, who turned 24 earlier this spring, can stay healthy, he still has enormous upside as a pass rusher. He could absolutely be an impact player for an NFL franchise.
CBS Sports sees the Bears as a logical landing spot for Young.
From CBS Sports: Matt Eberflus got a few expensive gifts this offseason, with Ryan Poles paying big bucks to replace Roquan Smith's play-making at linebacker. While DeMarcus Walker is also an underrated addition, the coach could still use a premium edge rusher if he intends to oversee dramatic defensive improvement. Young could be just that, and better yet, he'd help the team keep a long-term focus as it builds around quarterback Justin Fields. With a league-leading $32.6M in cap space, why not?
Poles could see adding Young as a potentially cheap way (depending on what the Commanders want in return) to add an elite pass rusher to Chicago's roster. It could be a very savvy move by the young Bears general manager.
Featured image via Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
