After the Maxx Crosby trade fell through, many Bears fans figured it was only a matter of time before their team acquired him. As of right now, though, that feels more and more like a pipe dream.
There is at least one suggestion floating about that the Bears should look into signing Jadeveon Clowney to help Montez Sweat at defensive end. However, Clowney is entering his age-33 season, and there's no guarantee he repeats the 8.5 sacks he had this past season. Plain and simple, he doesn't seem worth the price he's likely to demand.
What if the Bears chose to address this need in the draft, though? What if they decide not to break the bank and use that money to shore up other areas on the roster?
One NFL draft prospect who could persuade the Bears to look to the draft to resolve this issue is Clemson defensive end T.J. Parker. As of this writing, Tankathon has the Bears drafting Toledo safety Emmanuel McNeil-Warren with the No. 25 overall pick.
While the Bears could use some secondary help even after the addition of Coby Bryant, Parker should at least pique their interest. He's coming off a season in which he had 9.5 tackles for loss and five sacks. The flip side is that's a significant drop from the previous season that saw him total 19.5 tackles for loss, 11 sacks, and six forced fumbles that tied for the ACC lead.
To be clear, there definitely is a risk pairing Parker with Sweat, who will be 30 at the start of the season. One never can tell how well a rookie and a veteran on opposite ends of a defensive line are going to mesh. For that reason, the Bears might prefer to pair one veteran with another.
Still, if the Bears want to use their resources to upgrade elsewhere, Parker might be the best route they can take. Sure, there will be fans accusing Ryan Poles of going cheap on what many consider their biggest area of need, but that's the risk you take as a general manager.
On paper, Parker would fit the Bears well. The question is whether he truly would fit with a defensive line going up against 2025 first-place opponents. Would they want to throw a rookie into the line of fire like that?
The Bears have time to mull this particular option. If they haven't signed a veteran edge rusher by the draft, though, Parker can't be ruled out.