The draft is now behind us, with every team having the most hope they will likely have all year. There is nothing better as a fan than talking yourself into the sixth-round cornerback your team drafted and scouring YouTube for all the highlights. The unfortunate truth is that most of the players drafted will never live up to the hype.
The Bears added some new weapons for Ben Johnson early and some depth pieces for defense later on in the draft. One of their biggest needs, however, was not truly addressed in the draft - pass rusher. They did select Shemar Turner in the second round (62nd overall), but he played inside mostly in college, so it will be interesting to see how Dennis Allen utilizes him.
Pass rush has been something the Bears have lacked for years now, and still looks to be a question mark going into training camp. They signed Dayo Odeyingbo in free agency along with Grady Jarrett, but you're betting on traits with Odeyingbo, and Jarrett is on the decline of his career.
Bears Must Call Veteran Free Agent Za'Darius Smith
The ten-year veteran is still producing at a high level, showcased by his nine sacks a season ago between the Browns and Lions. That number easily would have led the Bears, as Montez Sweat was the leader with only 5.5.
Smith would not be brought in to be an every-down player, but rather a rotational pass-rusher which is likely his role on any team at this point in his career. You can never have enough edge rushers on defense, and a room of Smith, Sweat, Odeyingbo, and Austin Booker has the potential to be at the very least average.
Another fun nugget in this scenario is that Smith has played for every other NFC North team thus far in his career. He spent three seasons with Green Bay, one with Minnesota, and half of last season with Detroit. Why not complete the saga at this point?
Smith was due to make $11M this season from the Lions before they released him, so that is likely the number he is looking to be at or more. The Bears currently have a little over $10.5M in cap space, so it will be interesting to see if they can make something happen with Smith.