Bears GM Ryan Poles doesn’t rule out acquiring another pass rusher

The Chicago Bears fully reported to training camp on Friday morning with the veteran players joining the rookies, who reported to Halas Hall earlier this week. One of the biggest questions facing the Bears entering training camp surrounds their pass-rushing potential. Matt Eberflus’ unit recorded a 31st-ranked 30.0 sacks last season.

That number should improve with a full season of Montez Sweat, but who is going to support Sweat is a legitimate concern. General manager Ryan Poles did little to improve the position opposite him, drafting Austin Booker with a fifth-round selection to join a lackluster group that includes DeMarcus Walker and Dominique Robinson. On the interior, Eberflus is relying on receiving sophomore jumps from Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens.

Poles spoke with local media members during Friday’s debut training camp speaking session. When questioned about the EDGE position opposite Sweat, Poles didn’t rule out the possibility of acquiring another pass rusher before the regular season begins. Poles chose his words carefully, stating the following:

“We feel really comfortable with the guys that we have on our roster now. We will always have our eyes on the list of players we can potentially bring in.”

Bears GM Ryan Poles on the defensive end position: “We feel really comfortable with the guys that we have on our roster now. … We will always have our eyes on the list of players we can potentially bring in.”

— Kevin Fishbain (@kfishbain) July 19, 2024

There are a few veteran pass rushers still available via free agency that could interest Poles. That list includes Emmanuel Ogbah, Carl Lawson, Tyus Bowser, Charles Harris, Shaw Lawson, and Yannick Ngakoue, the latter of whom recorded 4.0 sacks while playing mostly ineffective football for the Bears last season. The list already isn’t very impressive, but the longer Poles waits, the more it’ll dwindle.

Poles could consider getting creative by acquiring another pass rusher via trade. It’s worth noting the Bears are already without a 2025 fourth-round selection after trading it away to draft Booker. Poles is flushed with three sixth-rounders however, which could qualify as enough day-three capital to pry an unwanted pass rusher away from his current team.