The Chicago Bears front office being extremely active in the offensive line trade market opens up more possibilities on the defensive side of the ball in free agency. Ryan Poles has swung trades in the last two days for guards Jonah Jackson and Joe Thuney to beef up the offensive front for Caleb Williams ahead of his second season in the league.
Getting to the quarterback is the name of the game for the Bears this offseason. Their back seven is pretty set moving forward, but adding a key pass rushing presence is all that matters now. New defensive coordinator Dennis Allen will have his work cut out for him this year with the defense struggling to finish out the 2024 campaign strong.
Things were more fine tuned when Matt Eberflus was running the show for Chicago before he got fired in November. Eric Washington didn’t have as much success taking over the scheme and the Bears defense looked like shell of themselves in the final handful of games in the campaign.
With as much pass rushing help needed as possible, the Bears will look at all options in the free agent market next week. It wouldn’t be too shocking if they added multiple pass rushers this offseason, as a new rotational edge could be on the to-do list for the front office. They could look to a former New York Giant to fill that role.
Why Azeez Ojulari makes sense for the Chicago Bears
Azeez Ojulari was a second round pick of the Giants in 2021 out of Georgia. He made quite the impact in his rookie season as he logged eight sacks and had 49 total tackles in all 17 games that year. Ojulari is coming off a 2024 campaign where he only played in 11 games. He finished the year with six sacks and 28 total tackles, with two multi-sack games to his name against Cincinnati and Pittsburgh.
Ojulari’s ability to disrupt plays and not be a total liability against the run are two reasons why the Bears need to give him a look on the open market. His market value right now according to Sportrac sits at $7.6 million per season for a two-year deal. Even though Chicago is paying a decent chunk of change for their new offensive linemen, a deal in this ballpark or a little less for Ojulari wouldn’t hinder their chances at landing any other big names in free agency.
Why the Chicago Bears should avoid Azeez Ojulari
Ojulari has only played a full season once in his career, which was his aforementioned 2021 rookie campaign. Along with his 11 games in 2024, he logged the same number in 2023 and played in just seven matchups in 2022. The best ability is availability and Ojulari’s medical history could be a huge red flag for Chicago. However, if his injury history allows for the Bears to grab him at a much cheaper price than his estimated $7.6 million than they should be interested.
If the Bears can work out a deal where Ojulari is a rotational edge, bringing him aboard would be a no-brainer. His injury history suggests that he can’t be counted on a weekly basis to be a dynamic guy opposite of Montez Sweat for 2025.
Chicago Bears sign pass catcher for Caleb Williams
Read MoreFor More Great Chicago Sports Content
Get the latest Chicago sports news, analysis, and breaking stories on the Bears, Bulls, Blackhawks, Cubs, White Sox, Sky, and more! Tap the star to add us to your favorites on Google News, so you never miss a story on your favorite Chicago teams.
Follow us on Twitter at @chicitysports23 for more great content. We appreciate you taking time to read our articles. To interact more with our community and keep up to date on the latest in Chicago sports news, JOIN OUR FREE FACEBOOK GROUP by CLICKING HERE
