Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles has been aggressive the last few years making moves to upgrade the roster. Some of those moves haven’t panned out, such as trading a second-round pick to the Pittsburgh Steelers for wide receiver Chase Claypool.
But, misses like that haven’t deterred Poles from making more moves in the future. He has never been shy about pulling the trigger on trades, and several he has hit on.
One trade that has turned out great for the Chicago Bears was the acquisition of Montez Sweat. He was acquired from the Washington Commanders in exchange for a second-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
He spent only the second half of the season with the Chicago Bears, but Sweat helped turn things around instantly on defense. He provided them with an ace pass rusher, something they were previously lacking.
In eight games, he recorded 6.5 sacks, 10 tackles for loss, 11 quarterback hits and 19 total pressures. He led both the Commanders and Chicago Bears in sacks last season, recording a career-high 12.5 total.
Heading into the 2024 season, Sweat is a player to keep an eye on. In the opinion of Jeff Kerr of CBS Sports , Sweat is one of the most underappreciated and undervalued stars in the NFC.
“The impact Sweat make on Chicago’s defense transformed that side of the ball. The first player to lead two teams in sacks in a season, Sweat had six sacks, 37 pressures, and 14 quarterback hits in nine games with the Bears — a pressure rate of 13.8%. The Bears defense allowed 17.9 points per game (5th in NFL) and 309.2 yards per game (10th in NFL).
Since Sweat arrived, the Bears had a plus-7 turnover margin (fourth in NFL). Sweat finished his 2023 season with 12.5 sacks, 64 pressures, and 25 quarterback hits. Sweat is in the first year of a four-year, $98 million extension with a cap number of $25,085,294 each year.
What Sweat brought to the Bears can’t be underestimated,” wrote Kerr.
Expectations are on the rise for the Chicago Bears. Sweat is leading a revitalized defense, earning a four-year, $98 million deal from the team last November.
If he can pick up where he left off in 2023, this defense is going to continue producing at a high level. With an improved performance offensively led by No. 1 overall pick, quarterback Caleb Williams, the Chicago Bears will be in the mix for a playoff spot this season.
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