As the NFL season creeps closer, many recognizable names remain on the free agent market. While these veterans could be chasing rings, money talks, and the Bears have a lot of it. Currently, the Bears have $35.78 million in cap space to use, so the Bears should sign a few free agents.
Even though the Bears made significant improvements on the offensive side of the ball this offseason their defense still needs some improvement. The defense could use help in pass rush since they were last in the league in sacks in 2022. The Bears could also potentially benefit from adding another cornerback.
There are a few options at pass rusher for the Bears to sign.
Houston may be 34 years old, but this veteran is still a dangerous pass rusher. Over the past four seasons, he has gathered 33 sacks. In that four-year span, he only had one season under five sacks. In that season, he gathered four and a half sacks, more than any Bears player had last season.
Houston is not only good at pass rushing, but he can also stop the run. His run-stopping ability would be a huge help to the Bears, who allowed the second most rush yards a game in 2022 with an average of 157.3 yards. Not only would Houston bring these skills to the Bears, but he would also bring veteran leadership. That type of leadership can be invaluable to these younger players.
The 28-year-old is a pure pash rusher with no run-stopping ability. Even with that being the case, Ngakoue has made a name for himself by getting to the quarterback. He has never had a season with under five sacks, typically averaging eight sacks a season. Even though he would have to come off the field on running plays, having Ngakoue would significantly impact this defense.
The 30-year-old cornerback has made a career out of being a ball hawk. In the seven seasons Peters has played, he has gathered 32 interceptions. His ability to read quarterbacks would benefit the Bears’ defense in the short and long term.
If the Bears bring Peters in, he could help the young cornerbacks develop by teaching them how he sees the game. The young guys learning from Peters would set the Bears up for the future and can lead to success.
One drawback of Peters is that he has temper issues. These types of issues can divide a locker room which the Bears do not need. As long as his temper does not cause an issue, he would be a welcomed addition to this defense.
Other than Peters potentially having a negative impact on the team, there is no reason for the Bears not to sign one of these players. At best, they can help solidify the Bears as a playoff team. At worst, they can trade them away at the deadline and get draft picks. Now it is a waiting game to see what the Bears end up doing.
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