The Chicago Bears have abandoned half-hearted measures in their pursuit of Montez Sweat, and a similar approach may be necessary when it comes to bolstering their pass-rushing lineup.
Chicago showed interest in Kansas defensive end Austin Booker, even trading a fourth-round pick in 2025 to secure him in the fifth round last month. However, expecting him to step into a starting role this year, or even the next, might be premature. ESPN’s Courtney Cronin proposed a one-year reunion with Yannick Ngakoue as a temporary solution while Booker develops his skills.
In the current free agent market, Chicago won’t find a single standout option to fill the vacant edge position for the next few years while Booker continues his development. No available player offers the Bears that kind of solution.
However, Chicago can take two half-measures by adding Ngakoue and bringing in Emmanuel Ogbah to beef up the edge rush opposite Sweat — and two half-measures equal a whole measure, at least sort of.
Ogbah spent last four seasons as a member of the Miami Dolphins, where he tallied a total of 24.5 sacks across 57 games.
Bears Lack Top-End Talent, Depth Off Edge Opposite Montez Sweat
ESPN’s Matt Bowen suggested on Monday that the Las Vegas Raiders are the prime destination for Emmanuel Ogbah, while the Cleveland Browns make the most sense for Yannick Ngakoue. However, his reasoning for both scenarios could easily apply to the Bears’ pursuit of both players at the same time.
Bowen pointed out that there’s space in Vegas for a rotational pass rusher, making it a suitable fit for Ogbah. With five sacks in Miami last season and a total of 42 over eight seasons, Ogbah’s prowess could significantly bolster the team. And in a division with Patrick Mahomes, having multiple pass rushers is always advantageous.
