The Chicago Bears have the freedom to take a risk on an imperfect player who deserves an opportunity to improve, and they are searching for an additional consistent source of quarterback pressure.
Chicago’s best chance to acquire a pass rusher this offseason, ready-made or project, is to make a deal.
On August 14, Bleacher Report’s Ryan Fowler proposed that the Las Vegas Raiders, who selected edge rusher Tyree Wilson with the seventh overall pick in the 2023 NFL draft, should give serious consideration to letting go of Wilson.
“Wilson’s rookie season was marred by injuries and inconsistent performance, raising concerns about his durability and ability to live up to his draft status,” Fowler wrote. “Despite Wilson’s size, length, and potential coiled up in his [6-feet-6] frame,” Fowler wrote.
Teams may yet view Wilson as a raw but intriguing edge rusher with upside worth taking a gamble on, despite his setbacks and present position on the depth chart.
Wilson wouldn’t come cheap and might end up costing the Bears at least their third-round pick in the upcoming season, or one of their two second-round picks in the 2025 draft. In addition, Wilson has three years left on his $25 million rookie deal, which has a 2027 fifth-year team option.
Austin Booker, a fifth-round draft selection by the Bears, is already showing promise as a raw talent off the edge. Chicago returned to the April procedures last year and selected Booker by trading a fourth-round selection in 2025.
Though the Kansas defensive end’s play thus far in the preseason has drawn praise, the majority of his value lies in his potential. In his second NFL game, Booker outperformed the Buffalo Bills on August 10th, recording 5 tackles, 3 quarterback hits, 2.5 sacks, and 2 tackles for loss.
He had just one tackle and two tackles against the Houston Texans and Cincinnati Bengals, respectively, in the two preseason games that preceded his effort against the Bills. However, Booker is also performing well in practice and might make an impact as a pass-rush specialist in his rookie season.
Wilson has a first-round pedigree and is only 24 years old. He is starting his second professional season. The Bears could be able to give Wilson a comfortable landing spot to grow under excellent defensive coaching until he’s ready to contribute to a club that is on the rise if the Raiders can’t wait for him to advance.
Chicago is placing a large wager on Booker, especially if the team doesn’t recruit another experienced player before the Tennessee Titans visit Soldier Field on September 8 to begin the regular season.
The Bears attempted to sell Matthew Judon to the New England Patriots in exchange for a third-round choice, but in the end, Judon was dealt to the Atlanta Falcons. Haason Reddick, one of the top pass rushers in the NFL the last few years, is available for Chicago to try again, but the New York Jets just traded Reddick to the Philadelphia Eagles this offseason in exchange for a third-round pick. Moreover, the Jets publicly declined his desire for a trade in response.
The Bears now have few options to add depth on the edge. Negotiations are on for the squad to reunite with Yannick Ngakoue, who was signed to a $10.5 million contract by Chicago prior to this season.
Ngakoue did, however, suffer a broken ankle and missed the last four games of the season, during which he recorded a career-low four sacks.
In his first season, Wilson recorded eight quarterback hits, four sacks, two tackles for loss, and a forced fumble. As a guy with first-round potential and opportunity to develop, he offers a respectable risk-to-benefit ratio.
