Ryan Poles won’t be able to plug every hole on the Chicago Bears roster this year with young, long-term talent. He will have to take shortcuts to prepare this team for September. That means paying some slightly older veterans to fill in areas they can help, even if it’s only for a year or two. Every GM does it during a rebuild. Some ventures work out better than others. Ryan Pace added Akiem Hicks on a cheap two-year deal in 2016, hoping he might help the defensive line. It’s safe to say that signing worked out pretty well.
Pace had ties with Hicks going back to their time in New Orleans together. Perhaps Poles could do something similar next month. The Bears are painfully short of options on the defensive line, especially pass rushers. There aren’t any younger options in free agency this year. At least none that are worth big money. So the Bears may have to take a calculated swing on somebody near or in their 30s. One that stands out is Frank Clark. Expectations are the Kansas City Chiefs will part ways with the three-time Pro Bowler, according to Cynthia Frelund of NFL.com. The reasoning is purely business-related.
“First, Clark’s cap number is skyrocketing, from $13.3 million in 2022 to $28.7 million this year. The Chiefs can save $21 million in cap space by releasing the soon-to-be 30-year-old. Secondly, Jones is heading into the final season of his contract. And seeing how he just established himself as a top-tier Defensive Player of the Year candidate — racking up 15.5 sacks and a healthy 2.9 percent sack percentage — Kansas City must prioritize extending the 6-foot-6, 310-pound game wrecker.”
Clark can give Ryan Poles and the Bears what they need.
He brings plenty of ability with 58.5 career sacks. His arrival was instrumental in helping the Chiefs win two of the last four Super Bowls. That playoff experience and veteran leadership would be great for a young team. People will get hung up on the fact he only had five sacks this past season. That doesn’t tell the entire story. Clark had 56 quarterback pressures in 2022. He was harassing the quarterback constantly. While not a #1 pass rusher anymore, he would make a solid #2.
The trick for the Bears would be adding somebody else up front that commands extra attention, similar to what Chris Jones did in Kansas City. That could be accomplished early in the NFL draft with the addition of Jalen Carter or Will Anderson. Ryan Poles has more than enough money to afford Clark. He won’t cost as much with his 30th birthday around the corner. It comes down to whether he’s open to joining the Bears. Perhaps he may try to latch on with another contender. Poles and Matt Eberflus will have to put together a strong recruiting pitch.
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