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Additions to the offensive line for the Chicago Bears this offseason have arguably made tackle Larry Borom more expendable.
The Bears drafted offensive lineman Kiran Amegadjie in Round 3 this year, also signing veteran linemen Jake Curhan and Matt Pryor in free agency. Pryor, who has played in 75 games over his five-year career, is currently the favorite to bump Borom from the backup swing tackle spot.
Considering Borom’s potential expendability coupled with the Bears’ need for pass rushing help, ESPN’s Seth Walder put together a three-team trade proposal that would send Borom to the New Orleans Saints while also sending New York Giants pass rusher Azeez Ojulari to Chicago.
“The Bears, who are rightfully trying to win right away behind rookie quarterback Caleb Williams, would be converting Borom into another player who can help their starting lineup rather than taking on draft capital,” Walder wrote in his August 7 story on “hypothetical moves that would make sense” for various teams.
Here’s the complete trade proposal from Walder:
- Saints receive: OT Larry Borom
- Bears receive: Edge Azeez Ojulari
- Giants receive: Saints’ 2025 fifth-round pick
Would DE Azeez Ojulari Be Trade Option for the Chicago Bears?
Per ESPN’s metrics, the Bears’ defensive line finished 25th out of 32 teams in pass rush win rate. Defensive end Montez Sweat made the Pro Bowl after finishing with 12.5 sacks on the season (6.0 of which were with the Bears), but Chicago has had a hard time finding another edge to pair with him.
“That player would be Ojulari, who was pushed into the role of third pass-rusher on the Giants after they traded for Brian Burns earlier this offseason,” Walder wrote. “Ojulari has shown flashes as a pro, but his career has been marred by injury, as he has played 18 regular-season games over the past two seasons.”
A second-round pick for the Giants in 2021 (No. 50 overall), Ojulari showed great promise as a rookie. He played in all 17 games (13 starts) and finished with 49 total tackles (8 for loss), 13 quarterback hits, 8.0 sacks, a forced fumble and two passes defensed.
Injuries became an issue for Ojulari each of the past two seasons, however. Ankle and quadriceps injuries limited him to seven games (five starts) in 2022, while hamstring injuries limited him to 11 games last season. He finished with 5.5 sacks in 2022 and 2.5 sacks in 2023.
“At best, Ojulari still has some untapped upside,” Walder added. “At worst — assuming health — he’s still an instant upgrade for Chicago over DeMarcus Walker, whose 8% PRWR at edge ranked 48th out of 50 qualifiers at the position.”
Ojulari would also be affordable. He’s due just over $1.5 million in 2024, and then he’s set to be an unrestricted free agent in 2025. Three-team trades aren’t common, but this is one scenario that might work for the Bears all around.
Larry Borom Could Be Trade Chip for Chicago Bears
Regardless of whether the Bears could snag Ojulari in a trade, it might be worth shopping Borom.
“Matt Pryor has an inside track at the swing tackle job, and he also can kick inside to guard,” Brad Biggs of the Chicago Tribune reported on August 6. “We’ve seen him at both spots, so you have some versatility there.”
Borom has played 1,012 snaps at right tackle and 493 snaps at left tackle, along with minimal snaps at both left and right guard. In 225 pass block snaps last year, he surrendered 16 hurries, six quarterback hits and there sacks.
If a mountain of serious injuries were to strike the Bears’ O-line, they shouldn’t look to trade Borom. But if they like where the line is looking and Borom isn’t a big part of it, trading him might be a solid course of action.
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