The Bears have spent the offseason looking like a team built to score in bunches. Ben Johnson is in place as the offensive architect, Caleb Williams gives them a former No. 1 pick at quarterback, and the supporting cast is loaded with weapons at wide receiver and tight end. The offensive line looks solid, and the backfield has a bruising runner with an edge to him.
That’s the part of the roster that jumps off the page. But championships aren’t won by offense alone, and Chicago’s biggest problem still sits on the other side of the ball.
The defense could be efficient, but it was also volatile, and the pass rush never became the consistent problem-solver it needed to be. With no move yet made to fix that issue, it stands out as the Bears’ clearest weak spot heading into next season.
That’s why Jadeveon Clowney still makes sense as a name to watch before training camp. He’s not a superstar, and he never became the dominant force many expected when he came out of South Carolina as the No. 1 pick. But judged on what he actually has been, Clowney has been a productive player.
He showed that again last season with the Dallas Cowboys, where he played 13 games with 6 starts and finished with 8.5 sacks and 41 total tackles despite being part of a historically bad defense. For a Bears team trying to raise the floor of its edge group, that kind of production matters.
Montez Sweat is the one proven star in the room, but the spot across from him is still unsettled. Dayo Odeyingbo is not a star even if he’s healthy, and Austin Booker may not be ready to make the kind of jump Chicago needs right away.
That leaves the Bears taking a risk by not addressing what looks like their biggest weakness. Overrating the roster could come back to bite them when it matters most, especially with Caleb Williams unlikely to cover up the cracks every week the way he did last season.
Clowney wouldn’t need to be Maxx Crosby or Myles Garrett to help. Even steady edge play could make a real difference for a team that is already close. The Bears are at the doorstep, and this is the kind of move that might not look flashy, but could help them get through it.
In Other News...
Ryan Poles May Finally Have A Real Fix For Bears Fans' Biggest Complaint
Ryan Poles spent the offseason trying to solve the Bears edge-rush issue without making a major addition, and salary constraints were a big reason why. That has kept the position in focus as Chicago looks for affordable ways to add depth, especially with Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo already in the mix but not enough to quiet the concern that has lingered around the roster.
Bleacher Reports Kristopher Knox pointed to a possible bargain route if the Bears want to keep exploring the market, citing a Dallas pass rusher on a one-year deal who could fit as a low-cost swing for help. The idea is simple enough for a team still hunting answers on the edge: a modest trade price and a manageable contract could make the move palatable, even if Chicago would still be betting on a player coming off a major injury setback. [Read more 🡒]
Bears Camp Already Has A Defensive Problem Fans Feared
The first day of Bears training camp brought the kind of roster housekeeping that can tell you a lot about where a team stands before anyone even puts on pads. Chicago opened camp by moving linebacker T.J. Edwards to the Active/Non-Football Injury list and placing five more players on the Active/Physically Unable to Perform list, a reminder that the defense is already juggling more health questions than it would like this early in the summer.
For a unit trying to build under Dennis Allen, the timing matters. Several of the names involved are key to the depth chart, and the injuries are a mix of fresh issues and lingering recovery work from last season, which makes the opening weeks of camp more about sorting availability than sharpening the scheme. The Bears can live with a few absences in July, but they would prefer not to spend the start of camp searching for answers in the same part of the roster. [Read more 🡒]
Ryan Poles May Be Eyeing A Hidden Fix For Bears Depth
With training camp getting close, the Bears took a look at six players in a workout that leaned heavily toward the back end of the roster. Four defensive backs were among the group, along with an offensive tackle and a guard, a clear sign the team is still sorting through depth options before the real competition begins.
The most intriguing name in the mix was Ben Te Kura, whose path to football is far from ordinary. A former rugby player, he is being evaluated as a possible long-term conversion project, the kind of developmental swing teams sometimes take when they think there might be untapped upside hiding in plain sight. [Read more 🡒]