Chicago Bears: One sneaky free agent they have to pursue

The Chicago Bears won’t be able to spend freely in 2019 free agency this March, but if they are creative they could land one or two big additions.

It always comes down to timing, situation, and a little luck. The timing and situation could end up perfect. They have one of the best young rosters in the NFL fresh off a 12-4 season and a playoff run. They have the best defense in the league and a young quarterback in Mitch Trubisky who is making rapid progress. If ever there was a team that looks like a true attraction this coming offseason, it would be them.

The key issue is finances. The Bears don’t have a lot. Not after handing a record-breaking contract worth $141 million to Khalil Mack. Nobody will complain about that, but it does make things more challenging for GM Ryan Pace. He won’t be able to go after the biggest fish on the market. However, there could be one or two underrated names that could turn out to be huge additions if their prices don’t go too high.

One name that should absolutely be on their list is Arizona Cardinals defensive end Markus Golden.

Markus Golden fits everything the Bears love and would make the defense better

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The NFL is about rushing the passer. As good as the Bears were all year at finding ways to the quarterback, they weren’t good enough when it mattered. So they should have every reason to seek out another pass rush options. Especially with Aaron Lynch being a free agent. Golden is the guy not a lot of people will be talking about but could end up being a huge steal.

He’s 26-years old and was becoming a rising star after a terrific 2016 season in which he had 12.5 sacks. Then four games into 2017 he tore his ACL. By the time he returned this past season, the Cardinals had switched from a 3-4 to a 4-3, forcing him to play defensive end instead of the position he seemed to excel at with outside linebacker.

He only had 2.5 sacks in 11 games. Now he’s a free agent and could likely be looking for a new opportunity elsewhere. Chicago would be a prime landing spot. Not only will they be running an aggressive 3-4 system under Chuck Pagano, but they also have a need for that critical third pass rusher with Lynch likely out. By that point, Golden should be fully recovered from his knee injury.

If they can get him close to that 2016 form, it would add another 8-12 sacks to their defense. Even if it’s just on a one-year rental deal, that is the sort of closet maneuver that makes good teams into championship teams.

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