Ryan Poles May Have A Chance To Get His Pass Rusher After All

Frustration with GM Ryan Poles hasn't really slacked among Chicago Bears fans, even after the team's recent rebound from 0-2 to 2-2. They still see a roster that is flawed in key areas. They don't have a proven left tackle to protect Caleb Williams, and the defensive line still can't rush the passer with any consistency. The latter is particularly maddening because of how much money the Bears have sunk into the group with Montez Sweat and Dayo Odeyingbo. They still don't have a legitimate ace in this group.

If the Bears want to challenge at all in this division, this has to change. Detroit has Aidan Hutchinson. Green Bay just traded for Micah Parsons. Minnesota has Jonathan Greenard. If Sweat isn't able to fulfill that role, Poles might have to go find someone who can. It sounds like he might have a small window to do just that. There are rumblings that the Las Vegas Raiders are teetering on the brink of a potential reset as their season circles the drain.

According to Raiders Beat, that may include parting with their biggest star.

For better or worse, the other veteran to watch is Maxx Crosby.

Crosby is the heart and soul of the Raiders both in the locker room and on the field. It would take a massive trade offer to pry him away from the Raiders, but the details of the extension he signed in the offseason make it clear that the door was being left open to trade Crosby.

This OverTheCap graphic (below) shows the dead money consequence and future cap savings if Crosby is traded ahead of June 1. It’s rare that a $30+ million per year contract comes with so much flexibility, particularly this early in the deal.

Trading Crosby might seem unthinkable, but it was only 10 months ago that Crosby sounded like a player who was ready to leave the Raiders.

If a couple of first-round picks are on the table before the trade deadline, it’s possible Spytek and Tom Brady will consider hitting a hard reset on the roster and trading Crosby.

Ryan Poles should entertain the idea of Maxx Crosby.

The money will present a challenge. Chicago doesn't have a ton of cap space to work with. They'd need to free a significant amount to fit Crosby's deal onto the books. Is it worth it? Absolutely. The 28-year-old is one of the three or four best pass rushers in the NFL. He has averaged nine sacks per year since being drafted. The Bears experienced him at full volume last week as he terrorized their tackles. He would undeniably make that entire defensive front more dangerous. A foursome of him, Sweat, Odeyingbo, and Gervon Dexter would be so much harder to stop.

Acquiring him is obviously the hard part. Ryan Poles would need to put up two 1st round picks in any trade package. That is not something he's entertained before. Chicago wasn't even in the Parsons sweepstakes. Perhaps things have changed. Crosby would be a much better fit in Dennis Allen's defense. If the Bears feel a juiced-up pass rush can push them into the playoff conversation, it is a move they must entertain.