The Chicago Bears always do things at their own pace. It seems they were wise to be patient in regards to the pass rusher market. They waived outside linebacker James Vaughters from their practice squad last week but had yet to make a significant countermove. They may have taken a step in that direction. Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune revealed that team worked out a foursome of veteran options.
Among those included were former Denver Broncos 1st round pick Shane Ray and former Tampa Bay Buccaneers 2nd round pick Noah Spence. It’s a minor surprise that these two have remained available up to this point. Whether the Bears plan to sign them is uncertain. They seemed satisfied through the first two weeks with their four-man rotation of Khalil Mack, Leonard Floyd, Aaron Lynch, and Isaiah Irving.
Perhaps something changed.
Chicago Bears can never have enough pass rushers
Ray looked like he was destined to become a prominent wingman to Von Miller in Denver after eight sacks in 2016. Injuries though ruined his momentum and he never was able to recapture his old form. Spence seemed poised for big things after 5.5 sacks as a rookie. However, his playing time curiously dropped off the next year and was never increased. It’s uncertain why that is other than the coaches didn’t like what they saw.
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Nate Orchard was a standout at Utah who was a 2nd round pick in Cleveland. He had three sacks as a rookie but never took the next step afterward. He was eventually cut and bounced between Buffalo and Kansas City without doing much. Dekoda Watson is a journeyman who has stuck around the league as a backup since 2010. He has experienced but can’t be considered anything more than an emergency reserve.
