Most of the core issues the Chicago Bears faced coming into the 2024 off-season have been addressed. They locked down Jaylon Johnson with a contract extension, replaced Eddie Jackson at safety, found two new options at center, added more firepower at wide receiver, and secured their hopeful future franchise quarterback. If there is one spot that still has people concerned, it is the edge rusher position. While they have Montez Sweat, the options across from him aren’t exactly comforting.
DeMarcus Walker is a solid player, but most would view him as more of a power rusher who occasionally kicks inside. Fifth round pick Austin Booker has tons of upside, but he is inexperienced and will need time to adapt to the NFL level. They don’t have a legitimate speed presence who can take advantage of Sweat. Many remain hopeful Yannick Ngakoue might return for another season. Former Bears scouting director Greg Gabriel says that is possible, but he might not be the name people should keep an eye on.
Who else is out there if Ngakoue is not the edge player the Bears sign? The two most prominent street free agents are former Dolphin and Brown Emmanuel Ogbah and former Jet Carl Lawson.
Ogbah fits the criteria better than Lawson in that he is 6042 – 273 with 4.63 speed when he came into the NFL. For the most part, he has had a productive career and has had a total of 42.5 sacks. The problem with him is that after signing a huge extension with Miami a few years ago, his play fell off. Granted, an injury played into that, but he wasn’t giving back in production what he was earning in salary, so the Dolphins cut him loose.
GM Ryan Poles was a personnel director for the Kansas City Chiefs when they won the Super Bowl in 2019. Ogbah was a rotational pass rusher for them that year, collecting 5.5 sacks in ten games. So the Bears have a good idea of what he might bring to the table. Ogbah was excellent in 2020 and 2020, posting 18 sacks and 45 quarterback hits. Unfortunately, a torn triceps ended his 2022 season after only nine games. He did bounce back last season with 5.5 sacks despite a scheme change.
Gabriel is correct. Ogbah not only has the size and athleticism the Chicago Bears tend to prefer on defense but also the length. He has 35-inch arms. Head coach Matt Eberflus has a long track record of liking players of his dimensions. New defensive coordinator Eric Washington should also have no trouble getting him up to speed on the team’s system as a renowned defensive line specialist. The likely outcome is the Bears will use the next month to assess what they have at the position. Once that is done, they will make a move before training camp in July. If Ngakoue decides to try his luck elsewhere, Ogbah is the favorite to watch.
