When looking ahead to free agency in March, the edge rushing position is a huge need that the Chicago Bears will need to fill. Ever since the team acquired Montez Sweat from the Washington in 2023, there hasn’t been much help to go alongside him. The 28-year-old’s strongest counterpart in his year and a half with the Bears has been veteran DeMarcus Walker, who is a solid rotational edge at best.
Sweat dealing with nagging injuries and constant double teams in 2024 led to a dip in his overall production. This offseason presents the Bears front office with a chance to give Sweat the pass rushing assistance that he deserves to limit the attention he receives on a consistent basis.
Along with bringing in a strong starter next to Sweat, depth is equally important for this unit entering 2025. Depth was something that the edge rushing position didn’t have much of last year, which made Sweat’s ineffectiveness extremely obvious. A
A high upside guy on the market that has familiarity with the new personnel in Chicago is Marcus Davenport. Based on his recent injury history, the former first-round draft pick would come at a cheap price for the Bears if they choose to pursue him in free agency.
Marcus Davenport would fit in well with the Chicago Bears
Davenport spent time with new Bears’ defensive coordinator Dennis Allen in New Orleans before bouncing around the last two seasons. He spent 2023 with Minnesota and 2024 with Detroit, so he is very familiar with the NFC North. Unfortunately for Davenport, he has played just six games in the last two years.
Four of those came with the Vikings where he recorded two sacks and seven total tackles. His tenure in Detroit was cut short after he hit the IR with a tricep injury in September. As a Lion, Davenport collected 0.5 sack and two total tackles in two games.
Davenport thrived under Allen’s pass-rush heavy system in New Orleans that he will bring to Chicago. In 2021, the former UTSA Roadrunner collected nine sacks and 39 total tackles in just 11 games. Davenport finished his time in New Orleans with 21.5 sacks in five seasons, showing that he could work well in a defensive system that prioritized his ability to get to the quarterback.
The Chicago Bears need to keep their edge rushing options open
While Davenport would be a nice option for the Chicago Bears to go after in free agency, his injury history doesn’t make him the most reliable player to put all your eggs in one basket for. Chicago has already been linked to a couple of other veteran pass rushers that are set to hit the open market in March.
Josh Sweat would be a higher cost edge rusher for Chicago, but with the Bears open cap space that wouldn’t be too much of an issue. The current Eagle has 25.5 sacks over his last three seasons and has been an under-the-radar find for their front office.
Chase Young would play well off a signing like Davenport, as he too is familiar with Allen’s defensive scheme from his time with the Saints this year. Young has had his injury issues in the past like Davenport, so bringing him aboard would be a strength in numbers situation. As long as one of them were to consistently stay healthy, it would be a significant upgrade for the Bears pass rushing unit compared to years past.
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