How to Solve Bears' Passrush Problem: Sack Total Adjusted with Sweat

[Sculpt]

How should Bears solve their passrush problem?

Bears ended the season 31st in sacks.

Adjusted Sacks with Sweat:
Montez Sweat played in the last 9 games. If we take that 9-game average into 17 games, Bears would have 38 sacks, which would merely rank 27th. Although Sweat improved the sacks, Bears clearly still have a passrush problem.

Bears DL, combined with good LBs, are great at defending the run, but besides Sweat, no player excels at passrushing. In fact, guess who had the most sacks after Sweat's 6? DT Justin Jones (4.5) who was let go and signed with Arz. Next was Yannick Ngakoue with 4, which was a failure, and is now a FA.

DE Walker was next with 3.5 on the year. He plays the run well, but poor sack total. DT Dexter had 2.5. Pickens had 0.5 and Billings zero.

Passrush is the Bears largest hole, no question.

Free Agency:
Bears have $22,464,788 in cap space left. DE's available include:

Mike Danna age 26; Sacks 23: 6.5, 22: 5
Calais Campbell age 38; Sacks 23: 6.5, 22: 5.5
Yannick Ngakoue age 29; Sacks 23: 4, 22: 9.5
Carl Lawson age 29; Sacks 23: 0 (6 Games), 22: 7

Poles passed on Chase Young (signed 1yr 13mil) and Clowney (2yrs $20mil).

Draft:
Verse, Turner, Latu

Poles doesn't like going into the draft with holes, so they say, but so far, he has a passrush hole.
How should Bears solve their largest team hole: passrush?

 

[Bronek]

How should Bears solve their passrush problem?

Bears ended the season 31st in sacks.

Adjusted Sacks with Sweat:
Montez Sweat played in the last 9 games. If we take that 9-game average into 17 games, Bears would have 38 sacks, which would merely rank 27th. Although Sweat improved the sacks, Bears clearly still have a passrush problem.

Bears DL, combined with good LBs, are great at defending the run, but besides Sweat, no player excels at passrushing. In fact, guess who had the most sacks after Sweat's 6? DT Justin Jones (4.5) who was let go and signed with Arz. Next was Yannick Ngakoue with 4, which was a failure, and is now a FA.

DE Walker was next with 3.5 on the year. He plays the run well, but poor sack total. DT Dexter had 2.5. Pickens had 0.5 and Billings zero.

Passrush is the Bears largest hole, no question.

Free Agency:
Bears have $22,464,788 in cap space left. DE's available include:

Mike Danna age 26; Sacks 23: 6.5, 22: 5
Calais Campbell age 38; Sacks 23: 6.5, 22: 5.5
Yannick Ngakoue age 29; Sacks 23: 4, 22: 9.5
Carl Lawson age 29; Sacks 23: 0 (6 Games), 22: 7

Poles passed on Chase Young (signed 1yr 13mil) and Clowney (2yrs $20mil).

Draft:
Verse
Turner
Latu

you forgot Latu , my # 1 choice, depending on medicals.

Poles doesn't like going into the draft with holes, so they say, but so far, he has a passrush hole.
How should Bears solve their largest team hole: passrush?

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

How should Bears solve their passrush problem?

Bears ended the season 31st in sacks.

Adjusted Sacks with Sweat:
Montez Sweat played in the last 9 games. If we take that 9-game average into 17 games, Bears would have 38 sacks, which would merely rank 27th. Although Sweat improved the sacks, Bears clearly still have a passrush problem.

Bears DL, combined with good LBs, are great at defending the run, but besides Sweat, no player excels at passrushing. In fact, guess who had the most sacks after Sweat's 6? DT Justin Jones (4.5) who was let go and signed with Arz. Next was Yannick Ngakoue with 4, which was a failure, and is now a FA.

DE Walker was next with 3.5 on the year. He plays the run well, but poor sack total. DT Dexter had 2.5. Pickens had 0.5 and Billings zero.

Passrush is the Bears largest hole, no question.

Free Agency:
Bears have $22,464,788 in cap space left. DE's available include:

Mike Danna age 26; Sacks 23: 6.5, 22: 5
Calais Campbell age 38; Sacks 23: 6.5, 22: 5.5
Yannick Ngakoue age 29; Sacks 23: 4, 22: 9.5
Carl Lawson age 29; Sacks 23: 0 (6 Games), 22: 7

Poles passed on Chase Young (signed 1yr 13mil) and Clowney (2yrs $20mil).

Draft:
Verse
Turner

Poles doesn't like going into the draft with holes, so they say, but so far, he has a passrush hole.
How should Bears solve their largest team hole: passrush?

No they don’t. Not after draft picks

 

[Nelly]

If you were the GM of the bears and knew this, you'd want to throw other teams off the scent as much as possible, and make people believe you were dying for a WR or LT, cause you want the pick of the litter at 9, right? Hmmm

 

[Sculpt]

No they don’t. Not after draft picks

You mean Poles is picking DE at #9 or bust?

 

[Sculpt]

If you were the GM of the bears and knew this, you'd want to throw other teams off the scent as much as possible, and make people believe you were dying for a WR or LT, cause you want the pick of the litter at 9, right? Hmmm

A GM might do that. But you can't hide holes.

 

[BNB]

A GM might do that. But you can't hide holes.

With a good pair of underwear you can! Zing!

 

[WookieOnRitalin]

I think everyone agrees that we need more sacks, but how many more?

Bears led the league in INTs last season as a direct result of the increased QB pressure. I think scheme and just improved ability from current players will improve the sack total.

 

[BaBaBlacksheep]

I think everyone agrees that we need more sacks, but how many more?

Bears led the league in INTs last season as a direct result of the increased QB pressure. I think scheme and just improved ability from current players will improve the sack total.

A lot more

 

[SugarWalls]

Poles doesn't like going into the draft with holes? interesting

 

[vabearsfan15]

Poles has gone into the last two drafts with clear holes in the roster. Last year we had no RT, lacked at DT, DE, and C. We then drafted a RT, and two DTs in the furst four picks.
The year before that we had alot of weaknesses. We had no #1 receiver, no CBs, no DL, no OTs. We thrn drafted two DBs who end up starting, a 5th rd starting LT, a WR, etc.

All that to say, Poles has shown he would rather lean on the draft to fill certain weaknesses in the roster. He doesn't feel the need to address every hole before then by overpaying for a FA. If the draft looks good at certain positions, he will use that knowledge to avoid a bidding war for mediocre talent in FA.

 

[KittiesKorner]

Depending on when the draft is, you are never going to replenish your full 22. Watch the tape

 

[Chief Walking Stick]

Did you mean ASSRUSH once Caleb gets here?

 

[Enasic]

Poles has gone into the last two drafts with clear holes in the roster. Last year we had no RT, lacked at DT, DE, and C. We then drafted a RT, and two DTs in the furst four picks.
The year before that we had alot of weaknesses. We had no #1 receiver, no CBs, no DL, no OTs. We thrn drafted two DBs who end up starting, a 5th rd starting LT, a WR, etc.

All that to say, Poles has shown he would rather lean on the draft to fill certain weaknesses in the roster. He doesn't feel the need to address every hole before then by overpaying for a FA. If the draft looks good at certain positions, he will use that knowledge to avoid a bidding war for mediocre talent in FA.

Astute observations

 

[DaBears3434]

You mean Poles is picking DE at #9 or bust?

His comment was about how much cap space there is left. He bolded that part of your post.

 

[Sculpt]

I think everyone agrees that we need more sacks, but how many more?

Bears led the league in INTs last season as a direct result of the increased QB pressure. I think scheme and just improved ability from current players will improve the sack total.

I give the Bears Secondary scheme and player talent credit for their interception prowess. Think how many more interceptions they can generate with more passrush? Turnovers are gold.

They need a lot more sacks. Eight more sacks would put them in the middle of the league.

The defensive scheme won't change. You only want to count on current players improving, when your team is 27th in sacks (adjusted to Sweat's games)? I don't hear that a lot.

 

[Sculpt]

Poles doesn't like going into the draft with holes? interesting

Not if he can help it.

I've noticed he gets FAs to fill holes so he can draft BPA, to the extent it's possible.

He also, generally, doesn't overpay FAs, and wants to build through the draft. That way the GM isn't reaching in the draft to fill required holes. It's smart.

 

[Sculpt]

Poles has gone into the last two drafts with clear holes in the roster. Last year we had no RT, lacked at DT, DE, and C. We then drafted a RT, and two DTs in the furst four picks.
The year before that we had alot of weaknesses. We had no #1 receiver, no CBs, no DL, no OTs. We thrn drafted two DBs who end up starting, a 5th rd starting LT, a WR, etc.

All that to say, Poles has shown he would rather lean on the draft to fill certain weaknesses in the roster. He doesn't feel the need to address every hole before then by overpaying for a FA. If the draft looks good at certain positions, he will use that knowledge to avoid a bidding war for mediocre talent in FA.

I completely agree. Poles totally blew up the team! I've never seen such a complete overhaul in my life.

So, yeah, he started with a lot of holes. He didn't overpay FAs and built through the draft. I noticed he filled holes with FAs, and is surprisingly willing to pay draft picks to get vet players too.

He's at "Stage 2", where I see him trying hard to have the flexibility to build thru the draft without having to reach and not be dependent on a rookie. The jump to the pros is vexing.

 

[Xplosive]

This is a weak draft for pass rushers, he can't wait until later rounds on some longshot. He should take Verse or Turner in the top half or Latu/Robinson in the second half of the 1st round.

 

[Sculpt]

No they don’t. Not after draft picks

Oh, got ya. Money for the draft picks. Bears only have 4 picks.

OverTheCap.com calculated draft $ needed for each team. Bears need the least cap space in the league.

Bears need $2,986,572 (Link). That gives them $19,478,216 "extra".

Based on free agent DEs signed, Bears could nab one of the best with a $10mil/1 yr.

I think Bears could rock with a rotation of Sweat, Walker, Mike Danna and Verse. Fresh DEs are more potent.