Thus far, the Chicago Bears have remained quiet on the roster front. That isn’t a huge surprise. It’s the middle of summer and players are away on vacation. Still, many fans and media remain concerned about what the team plans to do about the elephant in the room. That would be their pass rush situation. Outside of new arrival, DeMarcus Walker, Ryan Poles and Matt Eberflus seem content to run it back with guys like Trevis Gipson and Dominique Robinson from last year. This is despite those two being part of a defensive line that had ten sacks total in 2022.
Many hope the Bears have one more move planned at some point. They don’t have to go all out for a superstar, but they must add somebody with at least a proven track record. One name that continues to have some smoke around it is Justin Houston. While not in the typical wheelhouse of this new regime due to being older at 34, he has something else that may matter more. That is connections. Maurice Moton of Bleacher Report believes the two men at the top will ultimately look to add the former Pro Bowler.
“Because of Houston’s track record with Eberflus, who’s in his second year as head coach of the Bears, he may be on Chicago’s priority list of free-agent targets.
Keep in mind that Bears general manager Ryan Poles served as a college scouting coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs when the team selected Houston in the third round of the 2011 draft.
If Houston signs with the Bears, he should continue to put up big sack numbers as a starter over DeMarcus Walker.”
Ryan Poles can bend the rules for Houston.
The truth is the Bears won’t have to pay top dollar for the veteran pass rusher. His last two contracts with the Baltimore Ravens combined for barely over $5.5 million total. That is pocket money for the cap-flush Bears. This is more about whether Poles and Eberflus can lure Houston to Chicago. He’s at that stage of his career where it probably isn’t about the money anymore. He hopes to join a team that might give him a shot at securing that Super Bowl ring that has eluded him for over a decade.
Nobody would mistake the Bears for being a contender. They’re still in a rebuilding phase. While Ryan Poles has made them younger, faster, and more athletic, the team has too many flaws to justify the belief they’re ready to compete. Still, Houston remains available. The contending teams may not see him as an asset worth acquiring. Ryan Poles knows him well. He could sell the man on being a mentor for the young guys on the roster, filling the void left by Robert Quinn. He’d also get to play in a defensive system in which he had lots of success.
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While not an ideal scenario, it could serve both sides well this year.
