The Chicago Bears made their intentions crystal clear on Wednesday. Despite coming off one of the biggest wins in recent memory against New England, the organization still decided to trade Robert Quinn to the Philadelphia Eagles. GM Ryan Poles said it was an opportunity he couldn’t pass up. It was the latest evidence this team is squarely in rebuild mode. They’re interested in playing the young guys. Quinn never had a future with this team, so they chose to give him a shot with a contender while securing a 4th round pick in the process.
It was a difficult moment for teammates. Quinn was a team captain for a reason. He was highly respected and well-liked in that locker room. Roquan Smith broke down in tears over the news. Losing guys like that is never easy. It’s a testament to Poles’ ability to stick with the plan and make the hard decisions. He intends to build this roster how he wants it. Sacrificing Quinn was a necessary part of the process.
The question now is how the defensive end position gets configured. It’s a safe assumption Trevis Gipson and Al-Quadin Muhammad will be the starters for the rest of the year. Rookie Dominique Robinson will get increased snaps as well. However, there is a strong likelihood the Bears may add more depth. Here are a few names on the market that would make sense for what they’re looking for.
The Bears have a few options to replace Robert Quinn.
Benson Mayowa
The 31-year-old was an undrafted free agent in 2013. He spent a journeyman career with stops in Seattle, Oakland, Dallas, and Arizona. While nobody would ever confuse him for a star or a top mercenary, Mayowa carved out a reputation as an underrated pass rusher. From 2018 through 2020, he had 17 sacks, 30 QB hits, and six forced fumbles. If the Bears are looking for some depth as a situational pass rusher, Mayowa may still have some gas in the tank.
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Setting the edge by Benson Mayowa@BensonMayowa10 strikes the TE with violent hands & plays with great leverage. RB has nowhere to go! #stoptherun pic.twitter.com/t6mmep9h4n
— DLineVids (@dlinevids1) March 28, 2022
Benson Mayowa goes speed to power and drives the RT into Watson for the sack. #RaiderNation pic.twitter.com/WsftRVpMd7
— Chris Reed (@ChrisReed_NFL) October 30, 2019
Dee Ford
Talent was never the issue with Ford. It’s always been about health. The edge rusher is highly productive when he is on the field, with 40 sacks in 85 career games. The problem is he missed 32 games during his three seasons with the San Francisco 49ers due to various injuries. He isn’t durable enough to be a starter. However, the Bears don’t need him to be what Robert Quinn was. They merely need somebody that can be a capable rusher in obvious passing situations. Ford is more than capable of still being that.
Alex Okafor
The definition of the steady reserve. Okafor had some solid seasons during stints with three teams in the Cardinals, Saints, and Chiefs. He was a big part of Kansas City’s run to the Super Bowl in 2019, with five sacks in ten games. This is not somebody that will be a long-term investment. Okafor would be a placeholder that can fill in for the remaining ten games of the season, letting the young guys carry the load while he contributes whenever needed.
