It’s Friday July, 7th and the Bears still very much need a guy (or two) that can rush the quarterback. I’ve been saying it since March but Ryan Poles has to kick the tires on former Indianapolis Colts DE Yannick Ngakoue.
The pairing just makes sense. He’s a sack machine, who is still relatively young at just 28 years old. Let’s take a look at the production he’s had since 2020.
| Year | Sacks | Forced Fumbles | Pressures |
| 2022 | 9.5 | 1 | 27 |
| 2021 | 10 | 2 | 36 |
| 2020 | 8 | 4 | 26 |
As a team, the Bears had 20 total sacks last season. Yannick had nearly half of that by himself in 2022.
It’s been reported that Yannick is looking to play for a contender on a multiple year deal at about $8M-10$M per season. However, the market for him might not exist and that certainly favors the Bears.
What Would It Take For Chicago To Land Yannick Ngakoue?
Are the Bears contenders? That depends on your definition of “contenders”.
Are they a team that can win a Super Bowl? Probably not. But could they flirt with a divisional race or wild card birth? Absolutely. And if they were to say win the division or sneak into the playoffs, that would likely mean Justin Fields took that expected leap. Which in-turn would make the Bears “contenders” for years to come. See where I’m going with this?
Again, Yannick wants a to play for a team that can win it all? I get that. But are any of those teams knocking at his door and checking every box? Nope.
If I am Poles, I’d give Yannick’s agent Drew Rosenhaus a call and offer him a 2 year deal worth $21M with $10M guaranteed. Is this an overpay? Maybe. But the Bears still have money to spend. They have the most cap space in the NFL, sitting at $32,037,189 million. So a deal like this, albeit a little pricey, would do wonders for a Bears defensive line that desperately needs it.
Alternative Options The Bears Could Explore At Edge?
Here are a couple other options the Bears might look into to help fortify the defense before training camp.
Jadeveon Clowney
Pros: Versatile. Production might not be what it used to be but he can still get to the QB. 11 sacks and 44 pressures over the last two seasons in Cleveland.
Cons: Age. He will be 30 years old heading into the season. Doesn’t fit a “Poles like signing”. There are also injury concerns.
Justin Houston
Pros: He is familiar with Matt Eberflus’ defense from his previous stint in Indianapolis. 9.5 sacks in 2022 along with 25 pressures. The production is still there.
Cons: Again, age will be concern here. He will be 34 years old heading into the season. A decline is inevitable but if it’s a one year deal, why not take a shot on the vet?
