Josh Sweat projected as free agent target for Bears this offseason

mike pendleton, bears wire

Sun, Jan 12, 2025, 12:37 p.m.·1 min read

The Chicago Bears roster projects to have several new additions next season, especially at needed positions on the offensive and defensive line. With four draft picks in the Top 75 selections of the 2025 NFL draft and approximately $75 million in cap space, per Spotrac, the Bears have got to allocate all their resources to upgrading their team and get creative through the draft and free agency in order to do so.

Looking ahead to the upcoming offseason and free agent signing period in March, Pro Football Focus recently listed a target free agent for all 32 teams in the NFL, and to no surprise, an area of need was addressed for the Bears. For their listed projection, PFF has Chicago targeting current Philadelphia Eagles edge rusher Josh Sweat.

After sorting out their coaching staff, the Bears need to address the trenches on both sides of the ball. Edge rusher should be a key focus, given that Chicago ranked 27th in PFF overall grade and 16th in PFF pass-rush grade at the position in 2024.
For the second straight year, the Bears have a surplus of spending value — $80 million, to be exact — so why not chase a big fish like Sweat? The current Eagle has been terrific over the past four years, ranking 24th in PFF pass-rushing grade (80.7) and 22nd in wins above replacement. Sweat would pair with

Grading at an overall of 75.7 on the PFF metric system, Sweat ranked 28th in the league at his position, while totaling 34 tackles, 8.0 sacks, and 54 total pressures on the 2024 season. With a down year coming from the entire Bears defensive line, to put Sweat's season in perspective, the Bears had 40 sacks total as a team. Their highest number from one player came at 5.5 from Montez Sweat (no relation to Josh), who finished the 2023 season with a combined 12.5 from his time with the Bears and Washington Commanders.

Adding more talent to the line will free up opportunities for Sweat, and the need for a presence on the defensive interior will also be a major area to address this offseason. It can't be stated enough that the Bears defense has to get back to their relentless aggression and quarterback pursuits, and bringing in Josh Sweat would be a big help in doing so.

This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Josh Sweat projected as free agent target for Bears this offseason