Getty Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.
The NFL media circles are widely projecting the Chicago Bears to sign another veteran pass rusher to their roster for the 2024 season to assist Montez Sweat. Could they instead turn their attention to the trade market and “buy low” on a former first-round pick who may benefit from a change of scenery for the new season?
The Bears are limited on veteran free agent options if they want to add another pass rusher before the start of training camp. They could reunite with 2023 starter Yannick Ngakoue once he is healthy enough to play again. Otherwise, they would have to weigh the merits of signing a less familiar vet, such as Emmanuel Ogbah or Carl Lawson.
The Bears, however, may prefer to explore their options on the trade market instead of taking a chance on an edge rusher pushing 30. Bleacher Report’s Alex Ballentine even projected they could take a low-cost flier on New Orleans Saints defensive end Payton Turner — the No. 28 overall pick in 2021 — hoping to unlock his first-round potential.
“It might be a little shocking that any team other than the Saints remember what made him a first-round pick,” Ballentine wrote on May 29. “But, assuming the cost is low, he could be the type of high-upside player the Bears need in the room right now.”
Payton Turner Would Cost Little, But Has Injury Issues
Turner has the physical makeup to be an intriguing option for Matt Eberflus’ defense. He is 6-foot-6 and 270 pounds and touts an impressive 83 5/8-inch wingspan. He also clocked a sub-4.5-second time in the 40-yard dash at the 2021 NFL Combine, making him a swifter speed rusher than Ngakoue and a potential solid partner opposite Sweat.
The problem is Turner has seldom been on the field for the Saints due to injuries. He has played 15 out of a possible 51 games over his first three seasons in the league and just 340 total defensive snaps in his career. Most recently in 2023, he missed all but two games with a turf toe injury that landed him on injured reserve in mid-September.
All in all, Turner has notched just 29 tackles, three sacks and eight tackles for loss in his 15 games for the Saints, who almost certainly view him as a bust selection at this point. But for the Bears, who need more of a rotational edge rusher than an every-down guy, Turner could be a low-risk, high-reward revitalization project in 2024.
The Bears wouldn’t likely have to give up much draft capital to acquire Turner. They might even be able to acquire him for as little as a sixth-round selection, of which the team currently has three in the 2025 NFL draft. He would also cost only about $2.67 million against the salary cap in 2024 with his fifth-year option already declined.
The Bears would have no guarantees that Turner would work out for them. But unlike the past-their-prime free agent options, he would have a chance of earning a long-term spot in their rotation if he excelled in their defense during the 2024 season.
Dice Roll on Payton Turner Could Help Long-Term Future
Turner’s lack of production is concerning. The Bears could give up a draft pick for him and wind up with a stagnant one-year rental for their pass-rushing rotation who does not move the needle for them at all. And yet, Chicago may feel the risk is worth taking if the team decides it needs more developing talent at the defensive end position for 2024.
The Bears have a long-term fixture for the edge of their defensive line in Sweat, who signed a four-year extension last November that ties him to the team through 2027. Outside of Sweat, though, they do not have anyone who screams long-term potential aside from fifth-round rookie Austin Booker — who is viewed as a project for 2024.
DeMarcus Walker is a capable run defender and generated more production as a pass rusher once Sweat arrived in 2023, but he turns 30 in September and could be a top cut candidate in 2025 without marked improvement. Meanwhile, Dominique Robinson — a 2022 fifth-round pick — could be on the chopping block as soon as 2024 training camp.
Now, the Bears can always restock their defensive line during the 2025 draft with their three selections in the first two rounds. If a sixth-round pick and roughly $2.7 million is all it would cost for them to roll the dice on the 25-year-old Turner in 2024, though, it makes sense to take the risk if they feel Turner has untapped potential left in him.