Chicago Bears: If healthy, Smoot can be what the defense needs

Chicago Bears general manager Ryan Poles did a great job of overhauling the roster this offseason. He plugged as many holes as he could for a team that finished 3-14 in 2022. Armed with nearly $100 million in salary cap space and 10 draft picks, including the number one overall pick, this roster looks nothing like it did last season.

Of course, there are still some holes to be filled. The biggest need appears to be at pass rusher.

Last season, the Chicago Bears pass rush was dismal. They ranked last in sacks and quarterback knockdowns. They ranked 31st in quarterback pressure percentage.

The prevailing thought was that Poles would use some of his assets to acquire a pass rusher. Instead, he concentrated on the middle of the defensive line instead of defensive end.

Sure, Poles picked up DeMarcus Walker. He will be a nice upgrade but having him isn’t enough. They still need one good veteran who can move the needle.

Fortunately for Poles and the Bears, there are still some good pass rushers still available. If Poles wants to find a good one before the start of training camp, he has choices. He also has $32 million in salary cap space to work with, still the most in the NFL.

One candidate to look at could be Dawuane Smoot.

Smoot could be a good fit in the Chicago Bears defense.

Smoot has been an effective pass rusher, especially in the past two seasons. He recorded 57 tackles. His strength has been the Bears’ weakness — getting into the opponents’ backfield.

In that same two-year period, Smoot had 11 sacks, 13 tackles for loss, and 28 quarterback hits.

You may see his sack numbers and wonder how that is impressive. Well, just getting into the backfield helps. When he shoots in and puts pressure, the quarterback will move away from him. That puts him in the path of another Bears defender.

Sometimes it is not about the numbers but about getting to the quarterback. Smoot might not get the sack or the hit but if the defense gets it then it is a win for the unit.

Sometimes a sack isn’t the most important outcome. Putting pressure on the quarterback can result in him making a mistake. The quarterback can end up throwing before he wants, resulting in an interception or a fumble lost. That is even better than just a sack.

There are some worries about Smoot, however. He suffered a torn ACL late last season. It is the reason why he is still a free agent. He has shown good advancement in his rehab, however. Here is a recent Tweet from him.

https://twitter.com/RiseandGrindOP/status/1658647158000680961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

Signing Smoot could be a low-risk, high-reward move for the Chicago Bears. They could sign him on a one-year, “prove it” deal. If he shows that he is over his injury and has a good season he can make himself some money in 2024.

There are other free-agent pass rushers available. Justin Houston and Yannick Ngakoue are both available and don’t have the health concerns that Smoot has. There are good and bad to each player so Poles has a big decision to make.

Of course, Poles can stand pat and go with the players he has. Trevis Gipson said he was very close to having a big season last year and is working on improving. Dominique Robinson is a project who seems to be ahead of schedule. If he takes a big step this season then the need for a pass rusher is one that could be taken care of next offseason.

For now, however, Smoot is likely the best fit in the Chicago Bears defense. If Poles does pull the trigger on a free-agent signing, signing him could be the best possible move to make.