What Made Bears Trade For Commanders DE Montez Sweat?

Prior to today’s NFL trade deadline, the 2–6 Chicago Bears purchased pass rush assistance. According to sources aware of the transaction, the Bears and Washington Commanders have reached a deal that would send edge rusher Montez Sweat to Chicago in return for a second-round selection, as reported by NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport on Tuesday.

What Made Bears Trade For Commanders DE Montez Sweat?

When the season ends, Sweat will become a free agent.

The Bears have to strengthen their pass rush badly. With 10 sacks for the season and just 46 pressures after eight games, Chicago is tied with the Las Vegas Raiders for the lowest pressure percentage (14.4), ranking last in the NFL. With two sacks, linebacker T.J. Edwards and Yannick Ngakoue are tied for the team lead.

In the 2019 NFL Draft, Sweat, 27, was selected by Washington in the first round. With 35.5 sacks in 67 career games and good run defense, the Mississippi State product has grown into a potent all-around player in the NFL.

Sweat has remained a popular song in 2023. With 6.5 sacks in eight games, he is headed for a career-high, and he has recorded a good 19 pressures.

That makes it simple to see why Sweat was a favorite player of the Bears. It’s a little more difficult to see why Chicago traded for him.

The Chicago Bears and the Washington Commanders both benefit from the Montez Sweat deal.

The Bears lost out on a highly valuable second-round pick in exchange for a previous first-round pick. Sweat has accumulated 35.5 sacks, nine forced fumbles, 197 tackles, 11 pass deflections, one interception, and one defensive score in his four and a half seasons of play.

Sweat has accumulated 6.5 sacks in eight games this season and is on track to establish a career-high in a single season. The Bears have the option to extend him if they so want. He is scheduled to become a free agency during the upcoming off-season.

Sweat should greatly strengthen that Chicago defense, since he has already produced 19 pressures on his own. Additionally, after recording just two sacks in the first eight games, the former Pro Bowler Yannick Ngakoue could be able to assist him get back on track.

According to OverTheCap.com, the Bears now have $111 million in cap space. Out of the 32 teams in the NFL, that is the highest salary. Only one other club has made over $100 million, the Titans ($101 million).

As a result, the Bears were among the few clubs in a position to both give Sweat a lucrative deal and provide the Commanders a high-end draft selection.

Washington is still hopeful about Sam Howell, who may provide the club with a cheap quarterback for the next two seasons. That could have resulted in an uneven pay structure for the Commanders, with a large investment in the defensive line and little in other areas, but it would have freed up cap room for both Sweat and Young.

For example, Washington would have had three defensive linemen counting for more than $20 million under the cap and one offensive lineman over $10 million if it had extended Sweat and applied the franchise tag on Young.

Sweat is nearing the end of his rookie contract. Sweat inked a four-year contract worth $11.6 million after being selected in the first round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

He received a $11.5 million salary this season after the Washington Commanders selected his fifth-year option.

Of course, one might make the case that the Bears could have pursued Sweat in the NFL offseason of 2024 or free agency. After all, if they had been able to wait it out, they might not have had to give up a draft selection and would still have had the resources available.

Nevertheless, had the Bears attempted to hold out for Sweat’s acquisition, they could have had to start a bidding battle for his survivors. It’s also possible that the Bears were concerned that Sweat might be acquired by another club and then extended by them.

After this season, he will be a free agent and can get a big contract depending on how well he plays in the remaining games.

Bears draft picks 2024 after Montez Sweat trade

  • Round 1
  • Round 1 (from Panthers)
  • Round 3
  • Round 4
  • Round 4 (from Eagles)
  • Round 5

With a 1-7 record, the Cardinals are the only team ahead of the Bears’ two first-round selections, which are now ranked Nos. 2 and 3 overall. As a result, they will have a lot of purchasing power in the draft and will be able to trade down to increase their selection total if they so want.

Bears general manager Ryan Poles has traded a player for a second-round selection at the trade deadline for the past two years. The bet with Chase Claypool from last year went terribly wrong. Chicago will be hoping for a better outcome this time.

Right now, the selection that was going to Washington is ranked No. 35 overall. For a player whose contract is about to expire, that is a costly price. Given the lack of pass rush in the Windy City, Sweat should be a top priority for Poles, and Chicago has enough of salary money to sign him on a long-term basis. Naturally, supporters of the Bears will question why they were unable to pursue Sweat in free agency without giving up a second-round pick.

Sweat started playing full-time right away and has since been effective, despite not having finished a season with more than nine sacks. Along with Chris Jones, Myles Garrett, T.J. Watt, Khalil Mack, Maxx Crosby, and Brian Burns, Sweat is one of seven players who have at least five sacks in each of the last five seasons (since 2019).

In addition, he has shown to be a reliable run defender. Sweat missed two games following his brother’s shooting death, one due to COVID, and seven games due to a fractured jaw in 2021. Nevertheless, Sweat hasn’t missed a game in his other four seasons.

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