Montez Sweat is a better fit for the Bears than Chase Young

A Montez Sweat trade isn’t what fans expected, but he might be what the Bears need

The Bears traded a 2024 second-round draft pick for star defensive lineman Montez Sweat early Tuesday morning.

Sweat is on the last year of his contract, but the Bears will now have control over his signing rights and will be in a better position to extend him in the offseason.

Many rumors from NFL insiders had stated that the Bears were favorites to land Chase Young in a trade.

Some fans are not happy with the trade. Chase Young in recent years has been viewed as the better player between him and Sweat. This could largely be due to more highlight and flashy plays produced by Young.

Bears writer David Biggs of the Chicago Tribune pointed out that Sweat may have been the better acquisition after all.

Because there are questions about the right knee of Chase Young, who suffered a torn ACL and a ruptured patellar tendon. And Sweat has been a more consistent performer throughout.

— Brad Biggs (@BradBiggs) October 31, 2023

Context to Biggs statement

Injury concerns is a major factor in determining a players value. As every coach says, the best ability is availability.

Chase Young suffered an ACL and ruptured patellar tendon in 2021. That injury cost him the entire 2022 season.

Young has missed more than 50% of his possible games in his NFL career. Young has only started 8 times since 2021.

Sweat was a much more attractive trade target for Ryan Poles because of Sweat’s availability.

Sweat did sustain a fractured jaw back in 2021, but he doesn’t have a major injury history outside of that.

Adding Montez Sweat was a no-brainer, the stats prove it

When comparing Sweat’s 2023 stats to other Bears defenders this move was an easy one to make. Sweat’s stats jump off the page. His numbers put him first in every possible category among current Bears defensive linemen.

6.5 sacks, 27 QB Pressures, 4 QB hits, 10.6% pass rush win rate, 76.8 PFF grade.

Sweat is also more consistent with his production. He is not prone to hot and cold streaks as much as Chase Young is.

Overall outlook

Montez Sweat provides a much needed upgrade to the Bears pass rush as well as solidifying the run defense.

This isn’t the trade everyone predicted and many aren’t happy because of that. And this being the only move the front office made is a bit confusing when the team has so many needs.

Montez Sweat makes sense on paper and his availability is a very good thing to add to a team with no real consistency.

 

 

 

 

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