Facts are facts. The Chicago Bears don’t have any ideal options left to choose from regarding their pass rush problem. GM Ryan Poles never found a great opportunity to add that talented young building block the team wanted. Sometimes free agency and the draft board doesn’t fall your way. In such situations, there are only two courses left. He can either sign the best free agent available and hope he has a good year, or Poles can force the issue by taking a swing on the trade market.
While the focus remains on big names like Chase Young and Danielle Hunter, the reality is players like that aren’t available this time of year. If the Bears want to find somebody that can help them now, they might have to bend some of their rules. One of them is an age limit on the player involved. Insider Albert Breer of the MMQB mentioned there is a favorable chance four-time Pro Bowl edge rusher Chandler Jones could be on the move before the season begins. If the Bears can look past the fact he is 33 years old, he can help them this year.
“Due $14.2 million against the cap in 2023, the Raiders could trade Jones and save $10.57 million while opening up snaps for first-round rookie Tyree Wilson. Additionally, Jones would be a worthy trade target for a contender. An acquiring team would owe Jones only $1.16 million this season before having what amounts to a team option of $16 million the following year.”
The Chicago Bears can afford Jones.
His contract is more than manageable, for one. The cap hit isn’t a problem, and they can easily cut him in 2024 with little dead money concerns. Also, it’s a safe bet Las Vegas won’t be able to demand any significant return in draft capital for his services after he posted only 4.5 sacks last season. Now before people rage at the idea of trading for a player that appears to be in regression, keep in mind Jones dominated down the stretch of last season. In his final five games, he had four of those 4.5 sacks and 27 pressures overall. It is fair to wonder if he’d been playing much of last year with an injury.
So far, over the past two years, the Chicago Bears have made it a point not to acquire older players with heavy contracts. That is typical behavior of a rebuilding team. Still, their young defense could use a veteran presence with playoff experience. Jones still has some gas left in the tank when healthy. It’s a risk but one the team is well-equipped to handle. If they don’t like their options on the free agent market, this is one they have to explore.
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