The Chicago Bears made the somewhat surprising decision to trade Gervon Dexter Sr. this offseason. Even without him, they've held their own in the trenches, with Grady Jarrett bouncing back from last season, but Kentavius Street has been a bit of a mixed bag.
Dennis Allen deserves credit for turning around the defense after a disappointing first year in charge of that unit. That said, even the best things can be improved, and the Bears' defensive line certainly isn't the exception to that rule.
Considering that, the Bears should make the most of the imminent fire sale that's about to take place in Indianapolis. The Colts just fired general manager Chris Ballard, and that means DeForest Buckner might be up for grabs.
The Chicago Bears should try to trade for DeForest Buckner
Buckner is in the final year of his contract, and his prorated $13 million salary should be easy to accommodate on the books. He's not playing like the average 35-year-old, so he'd probably demand a fourth-round pick.
The former San Francisco 49ers draft pick is giving Father Time a run for his money. He came back from a season-ending neck injury playing like a man on a mission, and he'd give the Bears' pass rush a huge boost in the interior.
Over six games, the eleven-year veteran has amassed 26 total tackles (9 solo), including four tackles for a loss. He also has eight quarterback hits, 4.0 sacks, one fumble recovery, and three passes defensed.
Pro Football Focus gives Buckner a 75.3 pass-rushing grade, ranking 13th among 129 eligible defensive backs. He ranks ninth in total pressures (19), 13th in run stops (11), fifth in assists (9), and has played the fifth-most snaps at the position (304). Not too bad for an old man.
The Bears rank fifth in the league with 17.0 total sacks, and that's despite not having a premier headhunter besides Montez Sweat. Adding Buckner to the mix should open things up for Austin Booker and Dayo Odeyingbo when he's back to full strength, all while adding another premium run-stopper.
Ben Johnson's team has already proven that they can put up points like the best of them, but this game is played on both sides of the field. One-dimensional teams have a ceiling in the playoffs, and general manager Ryan Poles should be aggressive in adding more firepower to an overachieving defense that might be on the verge of greatness.
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