Now is the time for the Bears to go after Yannick Ngakoue in free agency
The Chicago Bears made some big moves in both free agency and the draft in hopes of fielding a much more productive defensive line in 2023. And so far, it's working. Even if it's still early in the offseason. "I'd say yes and what makes me think that [is] just being out there and seeing […]
The Chicago Bears made some big moves in both free agency and the draft in hopes of fielding a much more productive defensive line in 2023.
And so far, it's working. Even if it's still early in the offseason.
"I'd say yes and what makes me think that [is] just being out there and seeing how they're working, how they're rushing the passer," Bears defensive coordinator Alan Williams told reporters Wednesday. "We keep a chart of production and their production is up from last year [and so is] the understanding of the defense. All those things are better than they were last year, so, that leads me to believe that we'll be better. Now, the caveat is we don't have pads on, right now. So you'll never know until you know, but the arrow still, for me, it's point up and it's sky-high."
But even with all the additions and encouraging progress, that's not going to stop the Bears from potentially adding more to the pass rush over the coming weeks and months.
"We might bring in some other guys," Eberflus said Wednesday when talking about the defensive line. "… We're interested in a lot of free agents. We're interested in a lot of guys at all positions right now. We're just excited about being able to look at those guys and potentially add as we go through camp and get closer to the season."
The Bears need to sign Yannick Ngakoue
The Bears have plenty of cap room, so that's not an issue. Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robertson haven't proven they can provide quality starting snaps on a consistent basis, either. Sure, both players have flashed on occasion, but there is still a lot left to prove. Therefore, it's not like the addition of Ngakoue would push a promising, developing, young player down the roster or anything like that.
Plus, the Bears have Travis Smith, who is the team's defensive line coach. The key with Smith is he was the Las Vegas Raiders' assistant defensive line coach in 2021, when Ngakoue played there and recorded the second-most sacks (10.0) he's ever recorded in a single season. Smith also worked under Gus Bradley in 2021, who is currently the defensive coordinator for the Indianapolis Colts. He was also the DC in Indy last year, which is Ngakoue's most recent stop.
In other words: Smith knows Ngakoue's strengths and weaknesses and would immediately know how to use him in an effective manner.
ESPN's Matt Bowen even labeled the Bears as the "best fit" for Ngakoue in a recent column:
Ngakoue has notched 65 sacks over eight NFL seasons, including 9.5 in 2022 with the Colts. He can still get after quarterbacks.
In Chicago, he would fill a void for coach Matt Eberflus' defense, which added depth on the defensive line through free agency and the draft but still lacks a high-end edge rusher in passing situations. With Ngakoue in the mix playing opposite of free agent addition DeMarcus Walker, the Bears can boost their edge production in nickel fronts, which is critical for a defense that had a league-low 20 sacks last season. Ngakoue isn't a great run defender, but as a pass-rusher, he can play a role. – Matt Bowen, ESPN.com
Adding Ngakoue would easily give the Bears a very formidable four-man rotation at defensive end and would go a long way in improving a pass rush that was really bad in 2022.
It makes too much sense, ultimately, and the Bears would be wise to make this happen as soon as possible.
You can check out Bowen's full column, here.
Featured image via Robert Scheer/IndyStar / USA TODAY NETWORK
