One Reason The Chicago Bears Might Be Dragging Their Feet At EDGE

GM Ryan Poles didn't everything possible to make the Chicago Bears significantly better in 2023. Well, almost everything. He improved the offensive line, wide receivers, defensive tackle group, and the linebackers. He also solidified the depth in the secondary. However, he failed to make any notable headway at edge rusher. The only notable additions were DeMarcus Walker, who might see more time at defensive tackle, and Rasheem Greene, who had three sacks last season. While it's true Poles didn't have any great opportunities to add one in the draft, his silence in the days following it has perplexed people.

Some notable veterans are still available that can instantly improve the team's outside rush. Yannick Ngakoue, Frank Clark, Markus Golden, and Jadeveon Clowney are names that stand out. The Bears have enough money to sign one of them, if not two. Why do they continue to drag their feet, increasing the risk of those names finding homes elsewhere? One part people haven't considered goes back to Poles' standing philosophy.

He wants to build through the draft.

The Bears may want to wait and see if Dominique Robinson, their 5th round pick from last year, has made any strides since the end of last season. Team brass raved about his natural ability. It was only a matter of him figuring out how to fully utilize his tools like a professional.

The Chicago Bears likely want to see Robinson in OTAs.

While such practices make evaluation difficult due to a lack of pads, they saw enough last year to elevate Braxton Jones to the starting left tackle job. They likely think Robinson can show how much he's learned since last season. It isn't a secret he didn't have the rookie year he wanted. After a stellar debut with 1.5 sacks, he was shut out the rest of the season. Robinson admitted part of his problem was not asking for more help from the coaching staff. He finally caved after a clunker against Philadelphia and seemed to improve over the final three games.

If Robinson doesn't show anything of what the Chicago Bears coaches want to see, it's likely Poles will look to add one of those veteran rushers for training camp in July. That seems like a lot of leeway for a 5th round pick, but it's important to remember the team objective. They don't want to get in the habit of constantly relying on older free agents to fix their issues. They want to give younger guys a legitimate opportunity. Robinson thinks he can be much more than he was last year. The Bears are leaving the door open to prove it.