If there’s one area that has been an ongoing issue for the Chicago Bears this season, it's been their pass rush.
Heading into their Week 15 matchup against the Cleveland Browns, the Bears are ranked 27th in sacks (24) and 28th in quarterback hits (55). They also have the fourth-fewest QB pressures with 73.
The Bears struggled to get pressure on Green Bay Packers QB Jordan Love, who was only sacked once. Chicago was hoping that the addition of Joe Tryon-Shoyinka ahead of the trade deadline, plus the return of Austin Booker, would re-ignite this unit. However, Tryon-Shoyinka has been a no-show in five games with Chicago.
That being said, the Bears might need to find another way to bolster their pass rush, and luckily for them, Carl Lawson is available for the final stretch. On Tuesday, NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport reported that the Baltimore Ravens released Lawson.
Bears Should Consider Bringing in Carl Lawson for Final Stretch Run
The 30-year-old Lawson was signed to the Ravens’ practice squad in October and was elevated to the active roster for their Week 13 game against the Cincinnati Bengals. Lawson had a tackle in 28 snaps (26 defensive).
It wasn’t anything to write home about, but at least the Bears and any other team know that he’s in game shape.
When you look at the Bears’ defense, Montez Sweat leads the way with 8.5 sacks. But it quickly goes downhill from there. Gervon Dexter has the second-most sacks with 4, followed by DB CJ Gardner-Johnson with 3.
If you’re a Bears fan, you aren’t comfortable with a defensive back being one of your top guys in sacks, as it speaks to the overall performance of the defensive line. This is where Lawson comes into play.
Lawson is a fit for what the Bears do defensively, as they run a 4-3 scheme. Last year with the Dallas Cowboys, the veteran defender played in a 4-3 under Mike Zimmer and actually thrived in a rotational role.
Lawson racked up 19 quarterback pressures, 15 quarterback hits, five sacks, and four tackles for loss in 15 games (three starts). He did all of this while playing 41% of defensive snaps. For his career, the now ex-Ravens defender has recorded 32 sacks across 90 games.
The Bears have 14 players on their practice squad, so they have the space to bring Lawson aboard. It would be a low-risk, high-reward move for the Bears, who could take a flier on a vet, and if it doesn’t work out, there’s not a significant amount of money attached.