Pro Football Focus recently named the top free agents still available who can help teams in need, and they were a couple of intriguing players linked to the Bears.
There has been a lot of chatter this offseason about the potential of the Chicago defense, but mostly about what appears to be a steadily improving secondary. On the flip side, the Bears pass rush is a chief area of concern, with PFF ranking them as one of the league’s worst units. But there is expected to be a decent amount of internal development from former No. 9 overall pick Leonard Floyd, who has missed at least four games each season. But outside of Floyd, Akiem Hicks will again be expected to be a force and Aaron Lynch will be hoping to regain his 2015 form. Here are the best options to improve the pass rush via PFF:
Junior Galette: For starters, it is likely the team would stay away from Galette because of his off-the-field issues, but his production makes him at least worth a look. Last season he had three sacks, recorded 37 total pressures (via PFF) and was available for all 16 games. Galette recorded a total of 22 sacks between the 2013 and 2014, before last year’s relatively quiet year in Washington. He has had experience at both defensive end and linebacker, so he could plug-in wherever needed in Vic Fangio’s 3-4 D. If he was to regain his double-digit sack form, he could be a force. But even if he was simply able to replicate his 37 total pressures from last season, he would make life a lot easier on Hicks, who could be in for a huge season if he isn’t constantly double-teamed.
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Robert Ayers: There are two things that Ayers does consistently: pressure the QB and rack up tackles. And according to PFF, he amassed 45 QB pressures on 204 pass-rush attempts last year. At 32 years old—and 33 by the time the season is in full swing—his age is likely playing a factor in him being available at this time, but for a Bears team looking to take a leap, Ayers could be a good short-term investment. He would serve as a great backup to Jonathan Bullard, who PFF gave a solid grade of 77.9 for his performance in the Hall of Fame Game. But despite being a young, up-and-coming player, Bullard has only started four games over his two seasons. Ayers would be a great veteran presence with at least 10 starts per season in the past three years. He is an effective stop-gap DE, with the potential to have a big year in terms of sacks under Fangio's watch.