The Chicago Bears struck gold with the acquisition of Montez Sweat at the trade deadline this past season. Could they look to bookend him with his former teammate, Chase Young, this offseason?
?Chicago, in its efforts to bolster its pass rush, evaluated both Young and Sweat in the months leading up to the deadline,? ESPN?s Jeremy Fowler wrote on January 24. ?Sweat landed a four-year, $98 million extension with the Bears, who could spend more money in free agency to sign a pass-rusher such as Young.?
Insider Links Bears to 49ers’ Chase Young
Bears Passed on Chase Young at Trade Deadline
The first thing to note here is that this is Fowler speculating and not reporting information. It is also important to note why, after evaluating both players for an extended period, the Bears gave up a higher pick for Sweat than the Commanders received for Young, the No. 2 overall pick in 2020. They did so even though the latter has long been viewed as the superior talent in many circles.
Chase & bake!
Watch @youngchase907's first solo sack as a member of the 49ers ?#SFvsSEA is next on @SNFonNBC pic.twitter.com/qRhypRwIim
— San Francisco 49ers (@49ers) November 21, 2023
Young, 24, recorded 7.5 sacks in 16 games this past season. He logged 2.0 of his sacks in nine games with the San Francisco 49ers. He hits free agency off a four-year, $34.6 million contract. The 49ers project to have just $1.3 million in cap space, while Young projects to command a deal worth $13.6 million, per Spotrac. That could be just the opening the Bears need to try poaching him from their NFC rival.
Chicago will have the ninth-most cap space to work with. Of the eighth teams with more, at least seven of them could need a pass rusher.
Young?s 7.5 sacks this past season tied his career. His 16 games in 2023 set a new benchmark, underscoring the greatest knock on Young to this point.
Young has only appeared in 43 of a possible 65 games, failing to play a full slate so far.
Medicals Hurt Chase Young?s Trade Value
?They were working on a trade with Baltimore where they were gonna get a second-round pick, and some of the medical stuff that came back wasn?t what the Ravens were hoping. And so they weren?t able to pull off the deal,? 106.7 The Fan?s Grant Paulsen said on ?Grant and Danny? on November 28.
?They had another deal they were working on with San Francisco ? A second-round pick would have been involved. It turned out that based on teams doing their due diligence, Chase having had a very serious injury, they just weren?t able to get as much as they wanted to.?
Javon Kinlaw and Chase Young blowup the backfield for the 2-yard loss
Watch Kinlaw after the play is over ? pic.twitter.com/o7ORAIlLIi
— Coach Yac ? (@Coach_Yac) January 22, 2024
For the Bears, the question remains simple. Is Young’s talent worth the investment it might take to secure him rather than just the money alone?
With two first-round picks to select an edge rusher or trade back for one, they have options.
Bears Could Draft or Sign Pass Rusher
Top pass rushers like Brian Burns of the Carolina Panthers ? whom the Bears targeted last offseason ? and Josh Allen of the Jacksonville Jaguars are likely to receive the franchise tag, keeping them off the market.
Young?s price tag could skyrocket on the open market. They can afford to take that chance financially. But what about relying on a player who has proven anything but in his young career?