The Chicago Bears aren’t likely to make any significant roster moves, at least for the next couple of months. Head coach Ben Johnson and general manager Ryan Poles want to see where the roster is at in training camp. Depending on how that goes, they may feel compelled to make a move for help. One that has long been discussed among fans and media is the pass rush. A trio of Montez Sweat, Austin Booker, and a post-torn Achilles Dayo Odeyingbo isn’t inspiring much confidence. Hope still lingers that the team will seek proven help from somewhere. Anywhere. This is where Josh Sweat comes in.
It was reported weeks ago that the veteran edge rusher isn’t happy in Arizona. The Cardinals fired the head coach he signed on to play for. Now he’s stuck on a rebuilding team playing for coaches he doesn’t know. That is why it is believed he’s quietly pressing Arizona to trade him. After 12.5 sacks last season, Sweat is the obvious type of pass rusher the Bears need. So you can imagine it’s interesting when a new Fox reporter, Devan Kaney, dropped his name during a recent broadcast.
Interesting because she worked closely with Sweat during his time with the Philadelphia Eagles.
Joke? Hint? It’s clear enough Josh Sweat is floating out there.
If anybody has at least some connection to the veteran pass rusher, it would be Kaney. Eagles radio would’ve had close ties to the team. There is no doubt she interviewed him at least a few times. Maybe that was a bit of her insider leaking out. If so, this is a pretty big deal. Adding somebody like Sweat to the mix would instantly change the outlook for the Bears’ defense. They’d go from one double-digit pass rusher (Sweat) to two, and Booker’s improvement late last season would inspire much more confidence as the team’s third rotational guy.
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The obvious variable in this situation is Arizona. How determined are they to keep Sweat? It’s no secret they’re basically lining up to tank this season after letting quarterback Kyler Murray walk. Trading the pass rusher for a decent draft pick would certainly help that endeavor, but they also don’t want to weaken a defense that was already pretty bad, even further. This may come down to how hard Sweat pushes. If he really amps up the pressure, there is a strong possibility they may cave to his demands before the season begins.
Don’t expect the Bears to move until they sense the price is right.
One thing we know about Poles is that they have a certain price in their minds that he won’t go over. That is why you often hear about the Bears bowing out of sweepstakes for big names so often. He will not mortgage the future of his team for any one player. If Josh Sweat is a target, it will have to be at a price he’s comfortable with. We know he was willing to give up a 2nd round pick for Montez three years ago. However, he was younger than Sweat is now. They’re probably looking at a 3rd round pick as the red line.
Would Arizona take that? Probably not right now. They might be hoping to win Sweat around to staying put, or hoping to get more. There are two likely deadlines to watch here. Either it will be before the start of training camp later this month, or before the start of the regular season. Much depends on whether Sweat reports or not. If he does, the Bears may have to wait until the trade deadline in November for a true shot at him, presuming the Cardinals are out of the playoff picture as most expect.
