Getty Defensive tackle Calais Campbell, formerly of the Atlanta Falcons.
With the NFL draft behind them and a new star-studded cast on offense, the Chicago Bears have the rest of the summer to address a couple of holes on the defensive line.
Chicago potentially has the money to sign a big name, with almost $23 million in salary cap space available. The bigger problem with that approach, though, is that there aren’t any true studs available in late-stage free agency — at least none without a meaningful question or two involving age, injury or some other wart on their game that’s hard to miss.
The solution, then, is more likely a bridge to a young player or a future free-agent signing in the form of a proven veteran who can do his job well as a cog in a good defense, even if he’s not going to perform like the world-beater he once was. Gordon McGuiness of Pro Football Focus suggested that Calais Campbell could be that player for the Bears this offseason.
“Campbell could be a good role player for the Bears, too, given his versatility,” McGuiness wrote on Wednesday, May 8. “He has the experience on the edge and the interior and is still good enough as a run defender and a pass rusher to make an impact. In his 16th NFL season last year, he still managed to rack up 42 total pressures from 413 pass-rushing snaps.”
Calais Campbell Can Offer Bears Reliable Starting Talent at Reasonable Cost
GettyDefensive tackle Calais Campbell, most recently of the Atlanta Falcons.
Once upon a time, and not so long ago, Campbell was one of the fiercest forces from the DT spot in the whole of the NFL.
Campbell was a Pro Bowler, an All-Pro selection (either first- or second-team) or a combination of the two every season between 2014-20. He has never missed more than four games in a campaign and has started 225 of the 244 career contests in which he’s played.
He started all 17 regular-season games for the Atlanta Flacons in 2023 and should be reasonably affordable, as Spotrac projects his market value at $7.5 million over a new one-year deal.
Gervon Dexter Could Prove Long-Term Answer for Bears at DT
GettyDefensive linemen Gervon Dexter Sr. (left) and Travis Bell (right) of the Chicago Bears.
Chicago drafted defensive tackle Gervon Dexter out of Florida in the second round in 2023 and sent him out for 432 snaps last season (40% of the Bears’ defensive plays) across 17 games, though he started only once.
Dexter may end up the long-term answer to Chicago’s need for a 3-technique DT that head coach Matt Eberflus has described as the “engine” of his preferred 4-3 defensive scheme. But that time isn’t here yet after Dexter ranked 101st out of 130 qualifying players at the position during his rookie year, per Pro Football Focus.
Campbell can bridge the gap to Dexter’s further development, and also buys Chicago time to figure out if it needs to plan to draft another young talent at the position or potentially pursue an established player there via free agency or a trade.