The Chicago Bears are still in search of an edge rusher, with Pro Bowler Montez Sweat leading the way. The other players in the group are rookie Austin Booker, DeMarcus Walker, Dominique Robinson, and Jacob Martin.
ESPN’s Mike Clay placed Chicago’s pass rush defence as the 20th best unit in the league out of 32 teams in his yearly preseason forecasts. That’s not terrible, but it’s also not excellent.
Josh Schrock of NBC Sports fielded a question on his monthly mailbag asking whether the team would consider bringing Yannick Ngakoue back or if they would consider pursuing players like Justin Houston or Carl Lawson. The remarks made by Schrock on Lawson, who had back problems in 2023, were quite insightful.
Schrock wrote on July 19 that the situation of Lawson is difficult to determine. In 2022, he had an Achilles tendon tear, but he bounced back and performed well in 2022 (49 pressures, 8 sacks, and a 14.3% win percentage). The Jets were happy to let him go because they had a glut of pass rushers and he didn’t play much in 2023. I would give Lawson a chance rather than Ngakoue because, although I am unsure of his medical history, he seems like an interesting alternative. Whatever the case, the Bears require defensive line support, and it needs to come yesterday.
Is Carl Lawson a Potential Addition for the Chicago Bears?
Since the Miami Dolphins signed Emmanuel Ogbah, there aren’t many free agents available, so if he stays healthy, he might be a good option. Lawson, who just turned 29 in June, inked a $45 million contract with the New York Jets back in 2021. In recent years, he has had trouble staying healthy.
Lawson had a strong season in 2022, as Schrock pointed out, but he was only able to play in six games last season due to a back ailment and a congested pass rusher room with the Jets. During his 101 defensive snaps, he only ended with five tackles.
Even still, he was a disruptive force in the regular season, recording 78 quarterback hits, 17.5 sacks, 19 tackles for loss, and three forced fumbles while healthy in 2019, 2020, and 2022 (he missed the whole 2021 campaign because of a ruptured Achilles).
But would he fit in Chicago more comfortably than Ngakoue? In 13 starts for Chicago in 2023, Ngakoue totalled 22 tackles, seven quarterback hits, and 4.0 sacks. He shattered his ankle with four games left in the season, and he hasn’t signed with a new team yet. Unlike Lawson, he is familiar with head coach Matt Eberflus’s defence.
The squad will probably sign someone soon, whether it’s Lawson or Ngakoue.
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