The Chicago Bears offensive line has been the subject of much speculation in the early part of the offseason when it comes to the free agency and draft. Kansas City Chiefs interior offensive lineman Trey Smith has been one of the focal points of discussion.
Caleb Williams to blame for the sacks?
The logic appears to be sound after the Bears gave up a league-high 68 sacks in 2024. However, Aaron Schatz of ESPN suggested Chicago’s best and “bold” move might be to help the pass rush, blaming the high number of sacks on Caleb Williams.
“There will be a lot of talk about the offensive line, but quarterback Caleb Williams’ sack issues (a league-high 68) can be attributed more to his own tendencies than the Bears’ blockers,” Schatz wrote.
The Chicago Bears have a defensive line problem
Schatz noted how poorly the defensive line played in 2024.
“The Bears were 14th in adjusted sack rate but just 24th in pass rush win rate (36.5%) last season,” Schatz wrote. “Their starting four defensive linemen are expected to be back, but their depth players are all free agents. Montez Sweat, the Bears’ big pass-rush acquisition of 2023, ranked 47th out of 51 qualifying edge rushers with a pass rush win rate of just 9.9%, and he led the team with just 5.5 sacks. The defensive line is also aging.”
Josh Sweat or Charles Omenihu over Trey Smith?
Despite having glaring issues on the interior part of the offensive line, Schatz thinks the Bears should add a pass rusher like Josh Sweat or Charles Omenihu in free agency in addition to spending a few draft picks on the defensive line in 2025.
“The best move for the Bears would be to take an edge rusher away from one of the Super Bowl teams,” Schatz wrote. “The Eagles’ Josh Sweat dominated in the Super Bowl with 2.5 sacks and could give the Bears an all-Sweat pass rush if he’s signed. The Chiefs’ Charles Omenihu is also a free agent and would be an excellent addition. Then, the Bears need to go after the defensive line with two or three draft picks.”
Sweat would be preferable to Omenihu. Oemenihu, a fifth-round pick by the Houston Texans in 2019, has 19.5 sacks and 12 starts in his eight-year NFL career. Frankly, it feels a little silly to suggest taking Omenihu over offensive line help in a player like Smith.
Sweat earned a Pro Bowl appearance in 2021 and has a track record of consistent success, albeit on an Eagles’ unit that has had several elite players for years. The six-foot-five, 265-pound defensive end out of Florida State has recorded 43 sacks and 237 tackles in his seven-year NFL career. He’s appeared in 104 games and started 64.
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