Chicago Bears urged to make one critical move before start of 2025 training camp

The Chicago Bears’ roster appears set and ready to roll for 2025 training camp. But if there’s any position on the depth chart that could use a reinforcement, it’s edge rusher.

Sure, the Bears signed Dayo Odeyingbo to a three-year, $48 million contract in free agency, but he was — literally — the only move GM Ryan Poles made to give Montez Sweat a running mate.

The 2025 NFL Draft saw Shemar Turner as the only early-round defensive upgrade. Austin Booker, a fifth-round pick in the 2024 draft, could blossom under Dennis Allen’s watch, but that’s nothing more than a roll of the dice.

As a result, the Bears were urged to trade for an edge rusher in a new breakdown of one move every team must make before the start of 2025 training camp.

“This time last year, the Bears were looking to add a pass-rusher to play opposite Montez Sweat and settled on Darrell Taylor,” Bleacher Report’s Matt Holder wrote. “But he didn’t pan out with a career-low three sacks in 2024, so Chicago let him walk during free agency. 

“Now, it’s back to square one for Chicago general manager Ryan Poles, meaning he should explore the trade market for an edge-defender again.”

Chicago Bears unlikely to make any big moves before training camp

As great of an idea as trading for an edge rusher is, it’s also a bit of a pipe dream.

If Poles wanted to make a trade for an edge rusher, he would’ve done so by now. With big-name sack artists like Trey Hendrickson ripe for the plucking, the fact Poles hasn’t kicked the tires on a deal with the Cincinnati Bengals speaks volumes.

Indeed, Poles may have inquired about the asking price for Hendrickson, but there have been no credible reports suggesting the Chicago Bears have or ever had any real interest in acquiring the back-to-back 17.5-sack stud.

Could a mid-tier veteran become available at or around the time of roster cuts? Sure. And maybe that veteran won’t cost more than a distant seventh-round pick to bring to town. In that case, it would be a no-risk, all-reward strategy.

But just because the Bears need an edge rusher doesn’t mean they’ll magically be able to trade for one. Instead, the pass rush will come down to Odeyingbo proving he is worth the big contract he received.

No pressure.