The Chicago Bears know the defense is strong for the most part. However, there was one glaring issue the team acknowledged after the season ended. That being the pass rush. Outside of Khalil Mack, who had 8.5 sacks while playing through injuries, only surprise standout Nick Williams had more than five. Leonard Floyd, who came into the year with so much hope, finished with a paltry three. That is not enough. If the Bears want this defense to be the best it can be in 2020, they have to find more help on the edge.
One name that is gaining some traction on the rumor mill is Ryan Kerrigan. The four-time Pro Bowler is entering the final year of his contract with the Washington Redskins. He missed four games in 2019 with injury and managed just 5.5 sacks. The lowest output of his career. This combined with expectations they look at a pass rusher early in the upcoming draft has many thinking the team will decide to move on by trading him elsewhere.
Zachary Neel of Redskins Wire broke it down.
“He once was a golden boy in Washington, but he could very well be seeing his time with the Redskins come to an end. Though he still is a fan-favorite for many, a down year in 2019 has left him with one year left on his contract and an inkling of doubt that he can be what he once was in D.C. On top of that, Washington has the No. 2 pick in the draft, and they’re expected to take a young and dynamic edge rusher out of Ohio State (Chase Young), giving them two first-rounders capable of getting the job done when you consider they drafted Montez Sweat in 2019.”
Chicago Bears can take calculated risk on Kerrigan
Kerrigan has made it clear he’d like to stay in Washington but with a new head coach and general manager in town, it’s hard to say whether that’s in the cards. This is exactly the sort of situation the Bears can take advantage of. Despite his long history of production, Kerrigan will be 32-years old in August and is coming off a down year. The fact he’s also in the last year of his contract means his trade value will be just low enough for Chicago to have interest.
Subscribe to the BFR podcast and ride shotgun with Dave and Ficky as they break down Bears football like nobody else.
Recent history says it would likely cost somewhere between a 4th and 6th round pick to secure the veteran pass rusher. Jared Allen is a perfect example. Hall of Fame player who had a down year in 2014 for the Bears due to health issues. He gets dealt to Carolina for a 6th round pick. The Dallas Cowboys got the 28-year old Robert Quinn from Miami for a 6th round pick last year. So this is the sort of low risk/high reward move the Bears could benefit from.
If they were to get the Kerrigan of 2018 when he was healthy and produced 13 sacks? The combination of him and Mack could wreak havoc on opposing quarterbacks.