Bear Digest

What Diminished Defensive Line Market Can Still Offer Bears

The time for slim pickings is long gone and the Bears might be best off just bringing back Yannick Ngakoue, although there are a few other free agent edge or tackle options of interest.

Gene Chamberlain

Calais Campbell trying to corner Justin Fields last year in a 37-17 Bears win.
Calais Campbell trying to corner Justin Fields last year in a 37-17 Bears win. / Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports
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The natural inclination for the Bears could be to bring back defensive end Yannick Ngakoue for another go-around after his only Bears season ended in the 13th game with a broken ankle.

Drafting Austin Booker in Round 5 does nothing immediately to help their pass rush or run defense because he is a total unknown. In 2022 they took Dominique Robinson in the same round and he hasn't helped in his first two seasons.

The pass rush requires bodies for the rotational approach they take.

If they didn't bring in one of the better pass-rushing edges or a first-round defensive end, Ngakoue would at least rank as best pure edge rusher still on the market despite his broken ankle. This is based on his past and because he is only 29 years old. He also already has knowledge of the Bears defensive system. 

There are other options available if the Bears seek to enhance their defensive line.

Not all of them are at defensive end.

Indeed, Pro Football Focus' Gordon McGuinness urges the Bears to sign Calais Campbell in an article about the last offseason moves all 16 NFC teams should make.

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Here's what's left and what the Bears need to consider.

Yannick Ngakoue

He underperformed last year with a career-low four sacks. The injury can't be blamed for limiting his output. He would have needed 4 1/2 sacks in the last four games just to avoid a career low. Ngakoue was on pace for a career low in QB hits and had a career low of only 11 pressures. He never had less than 23 in any other season he played. It could simply be this system is not designed for his style of play. Ngakoue sells out more often than not. He abandons his lane of responsibility and this scheme emphasizes stopping the run and being stout on the outside.

On the other hand, he has been effective in a four-man line in the past. At Minnesota in 2020, he had five sacks in six games before being traded to Baltimore. With the Raiders, he had 10 sacks in a four-man line and 9 1/2 for the Colts in 2022 in a four-man front. This shouldn't be a big problem.

Signing back Ngakoue might require more cash than with others.

Calais Campbell

If they like defensive ends older than some coaches, then he's the guy. At 38 on Sept. 1, Campbell is on his last legs. However, he showed he had something left last year with Atlanta. The 6-foot-8, 282-pound end can slide inside if he needs to and knock down passes if he can't get to the QB. At age 37 he had as many sacks (6 1/2) as he's had for any season since 2018. He had more pressures (24), more tackles (56) and more tackles for loss (10) than any season since 2019. Then again, with someone 38 you never know if that's the year they've gone over the hill.

The other positives in Campbell's favor is he'd be less expensive and at 38 he could easily fit in as a mentor type. They'll have Booker at end and second-year tackles Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens. Perhaps something he can show them clicks and helps in their development.

Campbell played almost all of his Cardinals seasons in a 3-4, then was extremely effective in a 4-3 with Jacksonville. He is a mutlipurpose player with great experience but not someone they could depend on as a key addition on the line. Fortunately for the Bears, the key addition was last year with Montez Sweat and Campbell could be a decent fit as a complementary player with experience.

Emmanuel Ogbah

He can play anywhere in the front at 6-4, 275 but has been only a sub for Miami the last two years. At 30, Ogbah should have pass rush ability left even though his pressures dropped off from 36 and 39 in Brian Flores' front in 2020 and 2021 to nine and 15 the last two years.

The problem with Ogbah is his best play came in the 3-4 base for the Dolphins. His size says he can fit with what the Bears do, but his past production was better in a different scheme.

Carl Lawson

If injury issues truly are behind him (Achilles, back) and he is 100% -- and those happened so long ago now he should be fine -- then he could be a strong addition. He had a stretch of 27 sacks in five seasons for Cincinnati and the Jets. He has played mostly in a 4-3 front and at 6-2, 265, his weight at least would be ideal for holding down an edge in the Bears scheme.

No output last year in six games was scary, though.

Charles Harris

A groin injury took him out of the lineup for the Lions in 2022 following six games and he was coming off a 2021 when he had 7 1/2 sacks in his first Lions season. Then, last year, he never really regained the status he lost with the 2022 problems. The only year in his seven NFL seasons when he was regarded as a starter was his 7 1/2-sack year and also the only time he ever had more than three sacks in a season.

Bud Dupree

Besides Campbell and Ngakoue, he might be the most productive player available but his best years were spent as a linebacker in a 3-4. It's never been established he is an end in a 4-3, even though his size, at 6-4, 269, is exactly what the Bears seek physically for the position. The 6 1/2 sacks and eight tackles for loss say he still can contribute in a rotation on the edge somewhere.

Shaq Lawson

If they aren't in hot pursuit of him, it should tell you something. He was under the tutelage of current Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington with Buffalo last year and in 2022. And if they're not out bringing him in, then maybe they know something. Numbers say no sack total above 3 1/2 since 2020 with Miami. His 26 sacks in eight years and 13 pressures or less in each of the last three seasons suggest he should be well down the line for interest.

Rasheem Green

Been there, done that. Green was a good special teams player who didn't do much in the pass rush last year for the Bears.

Rakeem Nunez-Roches

A former Chiefs tackle who was there when Ryan Poles was, he has never provided any pass rush and has played up and down the defensive line at all spots. In five of his nine years he had no sacks and has never had more than two. More importantly for a tackle, he has had no more than five pressures in any of the last six seasons according to Sportradar.

Bryan Mone

An oversized defensive tackle from Seattle who is not a fit at all in this Bears scheme at 6-3, 345 for either defensive tackle spot.

Hassan Ridgeway

Another unproductive tackle like Nunez-Roches, with only six pressures in the last six years and just 10 sacks for his entire eight-year career. It would be safe to say he's more of a run stuffer than pass rusher but with 16 tackles for loss in eight year, that can't be said either. Matt Eberflus had him in his Colts scheme one season and he wasn't brought back.

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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.