The Chicago Bears made several moves during the offseason to improve the talent around second-year quarterback Caleb Williams. The top pick in the 2024 NFL Draft is expected to take the next step in his progression as a signal caller this season, now that Ben Johnson is calling the shots in the Windy City.
While those moves were necessary, the defensive side of the ball had holes that needed to be addressed as well. Even though there are no glaring holes in the Bears' defense, there is no doubt they could use an upgrade on the opposite end of Montez Sweat along the defensive front.
With training camp just weeks away, there is an opportunity out there for the Bears to add some firepower to the defense and make life that much more difficult for opposing offensive lines and the quarterbacks they're tasked with protecting.
Chicago Should Invite Former No. 1 Pick Jadeveon Clowney to Camp
Jadeveon Clowney is a name football fans have been familiar with going back to his high school days when he was built up to be the next elite defensive end to enter the NFL. Despite those expectations placed on his shoulders as a teenager, Clowney lived up to the reputation as he had a standout career with the South Carolina Gamecocks before being the No. 1 pick in the 2014 NFL Draft.
Now, Clowney is still without a job despite making it known he is hungry to continue his career and prove all of his doubters wrong. Chicago's front office would be wise to give him that opportunity in training camp.
There aren't exactly teams busting down the door to sign Clowney at this point in the summer, so from a financial perspective alone, bringing him in should not be anything that burns a hole in the pocket of the organization. Durability and effectiveness aren't an issue either. Clowney has played in 31 of a possible 34 regular-season games over the last two seasons and was a difference-maker, recording 15 sacks and 89 total tackles during that time.
With Montez Sweat on the other side of the line, adding Clowney to a line that also features Grady Jarrett would make for quite the defensive front. You don't have the opportunity to add a player with 58 career sacks and over 400 tackles on their resume for pennies on the dollar very often, and the Bears would be wise not to let it pass them by.