If there is one area of the Chicago Bears’ current roster that faces more scrutiny than any other, it is their defensive line. Bears general manager Ryan Poles’ significant investments have not paid off as hoped or planned.
He and his staff have been forced to navigate some situations beyond their control this offseason. Still, others were the direct result of their doing.
The result is a very polarized view of a key shortcoming from last season: the defensive line.
Bears’ D-Line Draws New Criticism After Ryan Poles’ Comments
Bears Still Facing Doubts About D-Line
“The Athletic Football Show” crew reviewed the Bears’ offseason, and generally gave positive takes of what Poles and Co. did. That was particularly true when it came to overcoming Drew Dalman’s retirement. They traded for Garrett Bradbury and drafted Logan Jones.
The Bears also flipped DJ Moore into the picks. They used those acquired picks to select Sam Roush, Malik Muhammad, and Keyshaun Elliott.
However, the Bears’ defense, and particularly their line, remain a lightning rod for criticism.
“I think if I’m trying to find one area where this just whole thing leaves me cold, it’s the fact that, for the most part, the front is going to be the same group of players it was last year. And there are different layers to that,” The Athletic’s Robert Mays said on the May 14 episode.
“Overall, I look at the front, and I’m like, ‘I still can’t get excited about this group.’ But I understand how you arrive here. You don’t have much money to throw around. You’ve committed, financially, to so many of these guys that you kind of just have to live with it for another year.”
Mays later added, “It’s a frustrating place to land when you look at the front, and you just know in your bones it’s still probably not good enough. But at the same time, I don’t know how frustrated you can get about the process that led them here, specifically, this spring. Because what they’re really doing is they’re paying for the sins of previous offseasons by having to live with this group again.”
Bears’ Plan Banks on Better Health
Mays noted that the Bears dealt with injuries at cornerback. The same goes for big-money free agent signing Dayo Odeyingbo and second-round pick Shemar Turner at EDGE last season.
That certainly contributed to their bottom-tier pass rush. However, the message was clear.
However, the Bears were also poor at stopping the run. That was despite significant financial investment in 2025 free agency pickup Grady Jarrett–who started 14 games last season–and former second-round draft pick Gervon Dexter Sr.
Mays looked ahead to the 2027 offseason. Then, the Bears should be able to move on from the likes of Odeyingbo, linebacker T.J. Edwards, etc.
The Bears still spent money this offseason.
Coby Bryant and Devin Bush will start at safety and linebacker, respectively. The Bears also signed a pair of speedy (presumably backup) defensive tackles in Kentavius Street and Neville Gallimore in free agency this offseason.
But the current basis for the turnaround the Bears hope to have this season on defense will come from one of the few factors that is beyond their control: improved health.
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