Shane Ray's Path To Chicago Just Got A Huge Boost

Shane Ray was selected with the 23rd pick in the 2015 NFL Draft by the Denver Broncos. Since then, he's recorded 84 tackles, 13 sacks, one pass deflection and one forced fumble. Considering Ray has only started 15 total games, that stat line is pretty impressive. Whether you're impressed or not, recent news out of Denver indicates that the Broncos have decided to decline Ray's fifth-year option. Reasons for this are associated with Shaq Barrett, an emerging young pass rusher for Denver, and the presence of Von Miller. Combine that reasoning with Bradley Chubb, Denver's 2018 first round selection, and Ray quickly becomes the odd man out. There are other rumors of off-the-field concerns and locker room attitude, but the main reasoning Denver declined Ray's option is because they won't be able to afford him and the other defensive stars they already have.

Enter Chicago. The Bears have a glaring hole in their depth chart and it's clearly edge rusher. Chicago hasn't had a player with double digit sacks since 2014 and they recently lost Pernell McPhee, Willie Young and Lamarr Houston making the position extremely thin. Players like Leonard Floyd, Aaron Lynch and Kyle Fits could help out, but potential is the stumbling block - none of these guys are proven. Back to Ray. He's only 24 years-old, will likely enter the prime of his career during his next contract and could be available to Chicago now for the right price. Should Ryan Pace look to unload a 2019 third-round pick to land him? Don't answer that just yet. If you remember, back in 2015 many people thought Chicago would be the team to draft Ray. There were SEVERAL mock drafts with the Bears pegged to take Ray with the seventh overall pick. Here's an in-depth article Bleacher Report did analyzing how "intriguing" Ray's fit in Chicago was, at the time. Unfortunately, things turned out different. The Bears drafted Kevin White and Ray fell all the way to #23 for the Broncos. Some attribute this to his pre-draft association with marijuana because he was picked up for possession just days before the event. The fall wasn't an indication of his talent level on the field. It has been rumored for a few months now that Denver wants to trade Ray. It would make sense if they declined his fifth-year option, trading him gets them something in return before he hits free agency (other than the compensatory pick). However, negotiating that trade is tricky because most new teams will want to nail down an extension with Ray to avoid "renting" him until the 2019 free agency period. These moving pieces make the deal slightly harder and make the destination that much more important in the long-term for Ray. The average age of a player on the Bears is 25.3 years old, roughly the age of Ray at the start of next season. Chicago has a young franchise quarterback, a brand new head coach already making waves around the league and a young defense still coming together to contribute years of future dominance. Add Ray in with Leonard Floyd, Roquan Smith, Kyle Fuller, Eddie Jackson and Akiem Hicks and Chicago's defense just took another gigantic step toward relevance. These reasons, among others, make the Bears a perfect destination for Ray's next contract. In a recent interview, following the NFL Draft, Pace indicated "he wouldn't rule out" trading for a defensive end / outside linebacker or re-signing Willie Young / Lamarr Houston to fill the gigantic need. If he can trade a 3rd round pick to get a promising young pass rusher, about to enter his prime, Pace could have this team in a position to compete for a playoff spot next season. If Chicago limps into the season, and doesn't address the need at defensive end / edge, you mine as well start mocking all the top outside linebackers to the Bears for the 2019 Draft now. With the sixth most cap space in football, they can surely afford to acquire Ray. Did we mention there's a discounted 7th rounder playing left tackle? Tick tock Mr. Pace, put the final stamp on this tremendous off-season by grabbing Shane Ray ... like right now. It could be the difference between immediate playoff relevance and another year of waiting for Chicago fans. [poll id="68"]