Ryan Poles Forecasts More Bears Roster Shakeups Ahead of Training Camp

After three consecutive losing seasons, Chicago Bears fans are expecting big things from the franchise in 2024. General manager Ryan Poles has done a masterful job of improving the roster through the NFL Draft and free agency, leaving time to tell if it'll be enough to bring playoff football back to Chicago for the first time since 2020.

While the Bears' offensive players are one reason why the future is bright, it's the defense that stands out as one of the NFL's best. The unit dominated the league in the second half of the 2023 season and there's a good chance of that trend continuing given that Poles was able to retain the majority of its key players while bringing in reinforcements like Kevin Byard, Jonathan Owens, and rookie Austin Booker.

With Chicago's defense looking promising, fans are feeling the 'if it ain't broke, don't fix it' mentality. Much to their dismay, though, the Bears might not be finished making defensive moves just yet.

Bears News: Ryan Poles Open to Adding Defensive End

With Bears training camp beginning this weekend, Poles took some time to speak with the media on Friday morning. According to Bears Wire's Alyssa Barbieri, the 38-year-old GM is "comfortable" with the team's defensive end room, however, the team "will always have our eyes on the list of players we can potentially bring in."

The top of the Bears' DE depth chart begins with Montez Sweat, who was a difference-maker after being acquired from the Washington Commanders in October. Not only did the Pro Bowl defender rack up 21 solo tackles, 6.5 sacks, and two forced fumbles in nine games, but the Bears went from allowing 27.3 points per game before his arrival to 17.9 PPG following it.

Having said that, the order beyond Sweat is fluid. As Barbieri points out, Booker, DeMarcus Walker, Jacob Martin, and Dominique Robinson are all in the mix to start on the opposite side of the 27-year-old without any man having a clear-cut advantage over the others.

Booker is a promising rookie, but he's only 21 and his status as a fifth-round pick could mean he needs to develop more before becoming a starter. Walker made a career-high 12 starts in 17 appearances with the Bears last season, however, he didn't look like anything overly special as he finished 10 of those games with a sub-60.0 pass rush grade, per Pro Football Focus.

Martin is an experienced newcomer with six NFL seasons under his belt, but only started in 15 of his 91 career outings. Meanwhile, Robinson started seven games as a rookie with the Bears in 2022 only for that number to drop to zero one year later. That's without mentioning how potential roster bubble candidates like Khalid Kareem, Michael Dwumfour, and Jamree Kromah will also be in the mix.

While that's far from the worst DE group in the league, you can see why Poles is open to any potential upgrades. The majority of big-name free agents have been snapped up by now, but a few potential available edge rush targets are:

• Emmanuel Ogbah: 42.5 career sacks in 107 games, 1x Super Bowl
• Carl Lawson: 27.0 career sacks in 74 games
• Yannick Ngakoue: 69.0 career sacks in 123 games, 1x Pro Bowl, played for Bears in 2023

Even if the Bears aren't fond of the above names, more DEs will become available once training camp cuts begin. While GM Poles is currently fine with Chicago's defense, the unit could look different once Week 1 arrives.

With the defense the way that it is, Chicago projects to be a middle-of-the-pack team next season. FanDuel Sportsbook currently has the Bears tied for the 15th-best Super Bowl LIX odds (+4000) ahead of training camp.

More Bears news and rumors: