Report: Bears among teams who showed interest in Matthew Judon

Before New England Patriots pass rusher Matthew Judon was traded the the Atlanta Falcons, the Chicago Bears were reportedly one of the teams interested in the Pro Bowler, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz.

It came down to either the Falcons or Bears with the former finalizing the deal on Wednesday.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles said early on in training camp that the team was looking to evaluate its roster at the defensive end position before it considered making any decisions in free agency.

"I don't really see it as a defensive end problem. Our mindset's always, how can we make a position group the best we can possibly make it and as deep as we possibly can make it," Poles said.

The defensive line as a whole isn't a strong point for this team. According to Pro Football Focus, the Bears rank 27th overall heading into the new season.

As for the edge rusher position, Chicago's Montez Sweat — who was acquired about nine months ago — is likely the only sure thing on the defensive line. He's coming off two solid seasons, combining for 20.5 sacks with the Bears and Washington Commanders. Last year, Sweat tallied 64 quarterback pressures.

PFF states his average pass-rush win rate during those two seasons was still below 15%, but he still provided a much-needed boost to Chicago's defensive line.

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Outside of Sweat, Chicago edge rushers consist of DeMarcus Walker — who has played with four teams in seven seasons — third-year player Dominique Robinson, rookie Austin Booker and veteran Jake Martin.

However, Booker had a great showing in the Bears' first preseason game against the Buffalo Bills. He registered 2.5 sacks on five quarterback pressures but will still need to be dominant in the final preseason games to make the final roster. During the broadcast, he was billed as "a poor man's Maxx Crosby."

But could the Bears still be on the lookout for another pass rusher like Judon? Time will tell, but head coach Matt Eberflus suggested it may be better to have someone who can match Sweat on the other side of the defensive line.

“He demands attention. That helps free up the other rushers,” Eberflus said of Sweat in an interview with CBS Sports earlier this week.

“That’s so important to be able to do that (and) to have a guy like that. When you can have two, it’s even better. And that’s something we’re searching to do here coming forward.”