Bear Digest

Suggested Edge Help Definitely Worthy of Bears Trade Pursuit

Analysis: While the Bears staff praises young pass rushers, the possibility exists they could find more dependable veteran short-term help or even trade for a very impressive pass rusher.

Gene Chamberlain

Four-time Pro Bowl player Matt Judon gives close pursuit to Justin Fields in a 2022 game won by the Bears.
Four-time Pro Bowl player Matt Judon gives close pursuit to Justin Fields in a 2022 game won by the Bears. / Paul Rutherford-USA TODAY Sports
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It's safe to wonder if Bears coach Matt Eberflus sees a real need for pass rush help, especially on the edge.

The Bears coach isn't about to go public with pleas for another edge rusher, and he has even been among the Halas Hall voices praising some of the players on the defensive line for their improvement.

In fact, Gervon Dexter's body transformation and attempts to get lower in his takeoff have gained him praise from various players and coaches.

"He's been playing his tail off just the way he's in shape," linebacker Tremaine Edmunds said. "It just shows like the work that he put in throughout the offseason and just his mindset. Dex is a guy, he's locked in.

"I was tell him, 'man, you're a lot older than like what your age says.' Kind of like my position, when I was a little younger, but he understands the role that he has and I've been seeing him locked in. From Day 1, he was like, 'Man, I got you.' I know when Dex look at me like that, it's like, 'all right, I understand, bro, we're on the same page.' But he’s been working hard, man."

Dexter had the best pass rush of Friday's practice, when he flushed Caleb Williams straight to the sidelines and forced a throwaway only a few plays into team practice.

They even had a nice pass deflection at the line by former Arizona State defensive tackle Deshaun Mallory.

Young Edges Take Time

On the edge, it's a bit different. They're hopeful rookie Austin Booker can come along fast and apparently they still hold out hope Dominique Robinson reverses course after his first two years. It's possible they might squeeze sacks or pressures from veteran acquisition Jake Martin.

Booker has defensive line coach Travis Smith convinced he'll eventually be a contributor. 

"The ability to slip and slide and get on the edge and beat with an inside move, you're seeing some of those things that you saw him do in college at Kansas that he's doing in practice now," Smith said. "He does have a high motor. He does plays with good effort.

"He's got a very long way to go, though, from a conditioning and physicality standpoint, from getting the system in."

Rookies are not even in the same shape veterans are because they started conditioning two weeks later since the draft was held at the end of April and May rookie minicamp was the beginning of their participation.

This is where Eberflus' comment comes into play. He was talking about Williams' play at practice but in these comments revealed what he really thinks about optimism over the younger edge rushers.

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"I thought he (Williams) did a really nice job throwing the ball on time," Eberflus said. "His footwork has improved this whole week. His progress was there.

"And then when you get the rush involved, a lot of times during this time of year, it's very hard to evaluate the protection, because there's no pads on."

Eberflus hears the coaching optimism over their young edges and takes it with a grain of salt.

"I know that the D-line coaches get all excited and all that and I always tell them, 'Hey, let's wait until we get the pads on," he said. "It's very hard to block a guy with no pads."

Various Forms of Help Is Out There

If they must get real about finding veteran edge rush help, the free agents available still include former Bear Yannick Ngakoue, as well as Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl Lawson, Calais Campbell, Jerry Hughes and Shaq Lawson.

It makes far more sense to acquire one of the edges short term, depending on the cash, than it does making a trade in desperation. That is, unless they can find a quality pass rusher for a second-round pick who isn't overpaid early in a contract and is in prime age to stick around for a while.

You don't make trades for players who are leaving in a year unless it's with a Day 3 draft pick. That's why the Keenan Allen trade made sense even if it could be a short Chicago stay.

Speculation is Matthew Judon wants to leave New England and could be available but the reason most teams cut veterans later or trade them is cost. In fact, CBS Sports' Cody Benjamin has Judon listed as among those who could become available. Judon saves the Patriots $6.7 million if dealt now or cut but they also would be eating $7.9 million in dead cap cash.

New England is one of the few teams capable of affording a huge helping of dead cap space. The Patriots have the most cap space available of any team at over $46 million according to Overthecap.com.

It's a good time to get rid of Benjamin in terms of the rebuild for New England considering how they can afford the cap consequences.

This is definitely a player worth acquiring considering he had six sacks or more every season since 2017, averaged over eight sacks a season in that span and was in the midst of a real surge. He had 12 1/2 sacks in 2021, 15 1/2 in 2022 as he made a Pro Bowl for the fourth straight year, and then had four sacks in four games last season before a lower bicep tendon tear put him on injured reserve. It's an injury that takes about four months to get over, so he's well beyond recovery.

Judon's pressure numbers are spectacular, with 42 pressures in 2021 and 2022 and 11 last year for four games before his injury. He even defends the run, with 87 career tackles for loss in his eight seasons. His four Pro Bowls shows he's had a career better than Montez Sweat. Pro Football Focus grades him 26th among edges, which seems low.

Judon has played in both the 3-4 with the Ravens and a 4-3 base with the Patriots, so this is no problem.

The Keenan Allen of Edge Rushers?

Honestly, considering the way Judon has played, the Patriots would be completely foolish to cut him and even trading him. They don't even need the cap space. It makes little sense, also, because edge rushers can't just be found anywhere and at his current cost he isn't hurting their cap at all. The only reason to trade him is to get something back in return before he ages out of the higher compensation. He's 32 this season.

The acquiring team would have to be prepared to have him only one year because of the potential higher cost of a new contract after his deal expires following the 2024 season, unless they have a wide-open cap situation. The Bears no longer have this unlimited cash situation for 2025 at $58 million available according to Overthecap.com.

Is trading a second-round pick for a player who walks after a year worthwhile?

Judon looks more like the kind of player a Super Bowl contender acquires for a year before he enters the free agent market.

The Bears are at least a year away from being in that class, but if the Patriots actually do see some reason they need to cut Judon, then a team like the Bears, one looking for pass rush help somewhere, anywhere, needs to be on the phone with his agent.

It also can't hurt to try and acquire him for lower trade compensation.

They've already found how this can be possible with a wide receiver of the same age.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

BearDigest.com publisher Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.