It was a well-known fact the Chicago Bears aren’t deep at the edge rusher position. Yannick Ngakoue left in free agency. Demarcus Walker isn’t known for playing that spot at a high level. Rookie Austin Booker has been a tremendous surprise, but the team still didn’t have many other options. That is why GM Ryan Poles tried to trade for Matthew Judon last week from New England. Unfortunately, a contract couldn’t be agreed upon. It seems that didn’t deter the Bears. Merely a few days later, Poles finally got his team the help it needs.
Reports indicate they have traded for former 2nd round pick Darrell Taylor from the Seattle Seahawks. He’s played three years in the NFL, collecting 21.5 sacks over that span. It appears Taylor fell out of favor in Seattle with new head coach Mike McDonald due to a reputation for being a mediocre run defender. This isn’t uncommon during regime changes. The Bears don’t need help for their run defense. Taylor helps solve the one issue they had, which is getting to the quarterback. He’s averaged at least 27 pressures and 5.5 sacks over the past three years.
Sixth round picks are basically fliers in the NFL draft. Giving one up for a guy who can probably get you half a dozen sacks is a worthwhile investment. The fact Taylor also comes at less than $4 million for the season is an added bonus. Judon would’ve been way more expensive. The trick for the Chicago Bears will be figuring out how to deploy him. His lack of run defense means he will likely serve in pure pass rush situations. Matt Eberflus is no stranger to these types of players. Watch what he did with Justin Houston in Indianapolis. The former Pro Bowler was never a great run defender, either. That didn’t stop him from wreaking havoc during his two years with the team. If Taylor is motivated to prove people wrong, he should see plenty of sack opportunities across from Montez Sweat.
