Fans haven’t been silent about the Chicago Bears‘ needs since August. It was evident to them and even some in the media that the team has serious question marks with the pass rush. Montez Sweat was coming off a down year and nobody was certain if he’d rebound. Dayo Odeyingbo was a decent addition, but wouldn’t be confused for a sack machine. The real worry was with the depth. None of their options had any track record of sustained success in the NFL. Matters would be made even worse if injuries struck. Yet for whatever reason, GM Ryan Poles refused to make any moves to supplement the group.
Meanwhile, potential options like Za’Darius Smith and Jadeveon Clowney have signed with other teams, leaving the market all but empty. Now, we’ve learned the motivation behind such passivity. A source told SM that Poles’ approach is motivated by a desire to leave the door open for Austin Booker. The team was reportedly very happy with the second-year defensive end’s progress in the summer, which showed in his outstanding preseason. It’s feared that bringing in a veteran would limit Booker’s opportunities to develop this season.
Ryan Poles, for better or worse, remains committed to developing guys.
Just look at Dominique Robinson. Most teams probably would’ve cut bait with the former 5th round pick by now. Yet he’s stuck around and had his first sack in two years against Dallas on Sunday. Booker showed tons of progress as a rusher last month. The only thing left to do was show it in actual games. He is set to return after the bye week next month. Ryan Poles would certainly look great if Booker comes out hot and delivers some juice to the pass rusher.
If he doesn’t? It could leave the Bears vulnerable for the rest of the season. We’ve already seen how hot and cold this defensive front runs from week to week. The true hope is that Booker carries over what you saw in the summer. Having him as a young, cheap rusher for the next three years would make life much easier for this team as they reconfigure the roster.
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