The Chicago Bears aren’t at a point in their offseason where they need to feel too pressed about making aggressive free agent signings. That being said, GM Ryan Pace knows better than anybody that his responsibility is to take advantage of opportunities when they present themselves. If a good player is still out there and might come at a relatively decent price? Then the Bears need to consider making a move.

One position group that remains surprisingly dense in terms of proven names is edge rushers. Perhaps the most perplexing among them is Justin Houston. The 31-year old is coming off another of his many solid seasons in Indianapolis, racking up eight sacks and 25 pressures for the Colts during their magical playoff run. Sadly, the team decided to forego bringing him back in favor of adding 1st round pick Kwity Paye.

Now with June approaching, Houston remains available.

Do the Bears need to sign him? Not necessarily. They have two starters already in Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn. They also added a decent depth piece in Jeremiah Attaochu from Denver. That being said, a common saying remains true about today’s NFL. You can never have enough good pass rushers. After the rough year Quinn had in 2020 (just 2 sacks), it would make sense to add a little more insurance to the roster.

A four-man rotation of Mack, Quinn, Houston, and Attaochu would certainly be a fun group. Especially given the uncertainty with the secondary after losing both Kyle Fuller and Buster Skrine. Given the array of top quarterbacks they’ll be facing in 2021, having a bevy of QB hunters isn’t a bad thing. Houston also has ties to Matt Nagy from their time together in Kansas City.

Chicago Bears will have enough money for one bold move

Thanks to the post-June 1st release of Charles Leno Jr., the team should have $9 million in cap space coming their way within the next 24 hours. Some of that will be used to secure their draft class. The rest should provide just enough for them to make a single aggressive move if they wish. Thus far they’ve seemed focused on the cornerback position with names like Steven Nelson and Bashaud Breeland emerging in the past couple of weeks. That isn’t hard to understand.

However, what happens if they fail to land either of them? The next best option might be for the Chicago Bears defense to stack the edge rush rotation as much as possible. Houston isn’t a young buck anymore but on a limited snap count, he should still be an effective force this upcoming season. He would also serve to help keep Mack and Quinn fresher during games. It is a move that could help everybody involved.

It comes down to how much Houston wants.

If he’s looking for anything close to the $11.5 million per year he was getting from Cleveland? Then he is likely going to stay unemployed for some time to come. That said if he is willing to take something between the $3-5 million range for one year? It is definitely something the Bears can and should consider.