Edge rusher Matthew Judon was traded from the New England Patriots to the Atlanta Falcons last week. Many teams were in on the star defender, including the Chicago Bears who almost landed him according to NBC Sports Boston's Phil Perry.
The Patriots had offers from both Chicago and Atlanta that would've sent their third-round picks to New England in exchange for Judon, per sources.” Perry reported. “It's my understanding that the Patriots ended up accepting the pick from the Falcons because that was Judon's preferred destination.”
The Bears were willing to pay the third-round pick for Judon and nothing more. Perry also reported that the price of a third-rounder “shocked” other general managers. Judon wants a new contract, just like Jets edge rusher Haason Reddick who has requested a trade away from the Jets before playing a snap. That drama did not push teams away from Judon.
The Bears could have paired Judon with Montez Sweat to create one of the best one-two punches in the league. They are looking to improve their defense to take a step forward with the offense. Rookies Caleb Williams and Rome Odunze are having excellent training camps. The Bears are looking to get back to the playoffs but could use an edge rusher to do it. With Judon off the board, who else could they add?
Bears add edge rusher after failed Matthew Judon trade
The best available option for the Bears is Reddick. The Jets released a statement saying they would not trade Reddick and would work out a contract. While that is what they should want to do, there is no guarantee that they will. If the season opener comes and there is no deal, the Jets might cave and part ways with Reddick.
That same third-round pick should get the deal done with the Jets considering that is what they paid to acquire Reddick back in March. If the Bears believe they can get a deal done with Reddick, they should take this opportunity. They would become a sleeper pick to make the NFC playoffs with Haason Reddick on their team.
A free option is a reunion with Robert Quinn. While he is certainly not the player he once was, he can provide depth on the defensive line for Chicago. Quinn last played in 2022, when he split time between the Bears and the Philadelphia Eagles. He is 34 years old and was a pro bowler as recently as 2021.
An unlikely option is Josh Sweat from the Eagles. A pending free agent, Sweat could join Montez Sweat to make a very good and funny defensive line. The Eagles are unlikely to unload pieces for future considerations considering they are Super Bowl contenders. If he does reach free agency, the Bears should go after him, and if they can trade for him that would be great as well.
There are not many trade options at this point in the off-season, another reason for Judon's high price. The Bears are better off waiting until the trade deadline to add an edge rusher. If they get off to a good start to the season, expect the Bears to make a big deadline push.
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