Bears Free Agent Targets: Two Super Bowl Champs headline list of defensive linemen that can join Montez Sweat and Gervon Dexter
The Chicago Bears have a clear idea what the team needs are going into the 2025 offseason and will have plenty of options to fill the remaining holes on the roster.Over the weekend, I broke down the Top-10 free agents on the offensive line the Bears should target to help protect quarterback Caleb Williams. Today, […]
The Chicago Bears have a clear idea what the team needs are going into the 2025 offseason and will have plenty of options to fill the remaining holes on the roster.
Over the weekend, I broke down the Top-10 free agents on the offensive line the Bears should target to help protect quarterback Caleb Williams. Today, let's evaluate the top defensive linemen the front office should consider signing to pair with Montez Sweat and Gervon Dexter.
In Super Bowl LIX, the Philadelphia Eagles showed the entire world how important having a stout and deep defensive front can be toward winning it all. The Bears are one of the teams that should have been paying attention to that message. And so, let's start off the list with two Super Bowl Champs from the Eagles' front.
DE Josh Sweat
Have yourself a Super Bowl to remember, Josh Sweat. The Eagles defensive end set himself up as best as possible entering free agency to land a sizable deal after recording 2.5 sacks, two tackles for loss, and three QB hits on a national stage.
The Eagles re-signed Sweat to a one-year, $10 million contract prior to the 2024 season and now he's in a prime position to land a big one in free agency after Sunday.
Since being drafted by the Eagles in 2018, Sweat has posted five seasons with 5.0+ sacks and played 14+ games in each season since his rookie campaign. Sweat will be one of the highly coveted defensive ends that actually reaches the open market.
DT Milton Williams
As for the interior, Eagles defensive tackle Milton Williams made himself some money during the big game as well to close out a breakout season. Williams had 2.0 sacks, four tackles, and a key forced fumble in the Super Bowl.
During the entire season as a whole, Williams totaled 7.0 sacks including playoffs despite only making seven total starts. Williams was a key rotational piece for the Eagles' defensive front and now is in position to land a larger role with a lot more money to come elsewhere in 2025.
The explosiveness from Williams was on display all season long and multiple teams will be lining up to see what he could do with a more featured role.
DE Chase Young
With the two Super Bowl Champs out of the way, let's look at some other options set to leave other teams around the league. The first name that pops up for the Bears is defensive end Chase Young.
The Bears were interested in Young back when he was in Washington but decided to trade for Montez Sweat instead while Young went to the San Francisco 49ers to close out the 2023 season. In 2024, Young signed with the New Orleans Saints in free agency and reignited his career playing for Dennis Allen, up until Allen was fired.
Allen is now the Bears' defensive coordinator, which gives the Bears two connections to the former second overall pick. Young is coming off a 5.5 sack season and could benefit from playing opposite Montez Sweat once again.
DE Marcus Davenport
Another player with a lot of connections in Chicago is Marcus Davenport. Davenport played five seasons in New Orleans with Dennis Allen to start his career and then spent two seasons in the NFC North with the Minnesota Vikings and Detroit Lions.
With the Lions, Davenport suffered a season-ending triceps injury after playing just two games. Injuries have unfortunately derailed Davenport's career and a fresh start with a familiar coach could be what gets everything back on track for him.
In 2021, Davenport recorded 9.0 sacks for the Saints but he's only totaled 3.0 sacks combined in the three seasons following that breakout year. Due to his injury history, he could be a much cheaper option for the Bears to gamble on.
DT Levi Onwuzurike
Sticking with the pending free agents from Detroit, Levi Onwuzurike is another player who set himself up to have a competitive market in free agency after his 2024 season.
The Lions' defensive tackle played 16 games and made a career-high 10 starts during the season while totaling 1.5 sacks and 13 QB hits. The Lions were hoping to develop Onwuzurike over time and finally got to unleash him in 2024, but the team already is committed to Alim McNeill, D.J. Reader, and Josh Paschal at the position.
The Jets will likely heavily pursue him to pair him back up with Aaron Glenn, his former defensive coordinator and the Jets new head coach. This is a guy who is scratching the surface of what he can become and the Bears should take a look.
DE Azeez Ojulari
Multiple teams were interested in trading for the New York Giants' former second-round pick over the last two years but no one was able to get a deal over the finish line. Now, in typical Giants' fashion, Azeez Ojulari will hit free agency and have tons of potential suitors.
At 24-years-old, Ojulari is incredibly young for a player who's already completed four seasons in the NFL. In those four seasons, Ojulari complied 22.0 sacks and and 37 QB hits for a Giants' defense that never saw any success.
Ojulari will likely be wanting to land with a winning franchise but will also weigh the various contract offers he receives on the open market. When this guy's healthy, he's proven he can be disruptive and he still has so much untapped potential to bring out.
DE Dayo Odeyingbo
Another second-round pick from the 2021 NFL Draft set to hit free agency still filled with untapped potential is Dayo Odeyingbo. With the Indianapolis Colts, Odeyingbo didn't become a full time starter until the 2024 season when he started 14 games.
The production, stat-wise, wasn't as great as his 2023 campaign where he recorded 8.0 sacks, but he's still be a consistent player for the Colts over the last three seasons.
As a edge rusher, Odeyingbo is incredibly powerful and can bulldoze one-on-one looks he could receive with a guy like Montez Sweat taking the bulk of the attention on the other side of the front. He also has the versatility to line up on the inside too.
DT Osa Odighizuwa
The Dallas Cowboys tried to keep Osa Odighizuwa a secret for a while, but his continued improvement from the interior has started to peak the interests of other teams and the Cowboys are already tight on funds this offseason to retain him.
Odighizuwa is coming off his second season with 4.0+ sacks and recorded a career-high 23 QB hits in 2024. Pairing Odighizuwa with Gervon Dexter inside would give the Bears two strong interior pass rushers and you still have Andrew Billings as well.
Having a unique defensive mind like Dennis Allen could do wonders for Odighizuwa rotating in and eventually carving out a sizable role for himself.
Bears Free Agent Targets: Top offensive linemen Chicago should consider to help rebuild the protection for Caleb Williams
Which of these players will join the Bears?
