Chicago Bears fans have spent the offseason hammering Ryan Poles for one move he didn’t make: adding help off the edge.
Poles had plenty of good moments this spring, but the criticism has stuck because the Bears passed on bringing in an elite edge rusher. The calls were there for a trade or a splash signing, yet Chicago never added a new player at the position. A big part of that came down to cost, since a player in Maxx Crosby’s tier would have pushed the Bears into uncomfortable territory.
That’s where a cheaper option comes into focus. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox pointed to Dallas Cowboys edge rusher Sam Williams as a player who could use a fresh start, and he named the Bears as a strong fit.
"Williams, who had 8.5 sacks in his first two seasons before suffering a torn ACL in 2024, has flashed promise. Landing with a team that has questionable edge depth would give him a better chance to reach his potential than staying buried on Dallas' depth chart."
Williams gives Chicago a possible answer without forcing the team to empty the wallet. He missed all of 2024 because of the ACL injury, then returned to post 37 tackles, seven tackles for loss, four quarterback hits, two pass deflections, one forced fumble, and one sack in 17 games. Pro Football Focus graded him at 57.5, which placed him 93rd among 115 NFL edge rushers.
He wouldn’t solve everything for the Bears, but he would at least give them another young body to develop at a spot that still needs help. Austin Booker has the organization’s trust and still looks like someone who can contribute. Dayo Odeyingbo remains the bigger question mark after managing just one sack in eight games last year.
The reality is simple: Chicago has to do something at edge rusher. That could mean paying up for a bigger name like Crosby, or it could mean taking a swing on someone like Williams. The appeal with Williams is obvious - he’s on a one-year, $2.5 million contract, which makes him a clean financial fit.
A trade would also be manageable. Dallas would reportedly only need a Day 3 draft pick to get a deal done, giving the Bears a relatively low-cost path to adding another pass rusher.
Chicago heads into the 2026 season as one of the league’s weakest pass-rushing teams from last year, and it hasn’t done enough yet to change that. If Poles wants to calm the noise, a move for Williams would be one way to start.
In Other News...
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 🡒]