2023-10-31 23:13:00
BEARS RECEIVE:
Ranking dead last in the NFL in sacks (10) and pressure percentage (28.9) entering Week 9, the Bears desperately needed pass-rush aid. Sweat, with 35.5 sacks in 67 career games with Washington, immediately brings credibility to the unit. The 27-year-old has at least 5.0 sacks in each of his five seasons in D.C. Sweat is currently tied for eighth in the NFL with 6.5 sacks in 2023. From an on-field perspective, Sweat is precisely what Matt Eberflus’ defense needs. He’s a top-20 edge rusher with a motor who can finish at the quarterback, something the Bears have lacked since Khalil Mack’s heyday.
The cost, however, is significant. Sweat is a pending free agent in line for a big-money contract. I have to believe GM Ryan Poles, who has loads of cap space at his disposal, plans to pay Sweat. Otherwise, it’s a completely head-scratching move, given Chicago’s 2-6 record. Using the franchise tag to keep him around in 2024 would be a Band-Aid approach. Even if the Bears locked down Sweat for the long-term in the coming weeks or months, giving up a high pick (currently No. 35 overall) is a steep price for a player they could have chased in free agency, barring someone else trading for and extending him first.
A year ago at the deadline, Poles attempted to fill a glaring hole by trading a second-round pick for receiver Chase Claypool. That move fell flat, but it apparently didn’t make the GM shy about doing something similar in 2023. The comparisons are natural, but the situations are not analogous. Claypool was struggling in Pittsburgh when he was acquired; Sweat has proven to be a reliable player throughout his career. While I still don’t like giving up a potential top-40 pick, the hope in Chicago is that things turn out much differently this time around. The 49ers getting Chase Young from Washington for a lesser pick, however, makes the optics of the Sweat trade harder to digest.
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