Bears could bolster defensive line with this Eagles free agent
There’s no question that overhauling the defensive line is at the top of the to do-list for Chicago Bears head coach Matt Eberflus.
The Bears ranked last in the NFL in sacks (20) and they allowing the second-most rushing yards per game (157.3), which is why NBC Sports Chicago’s Alex Shapiro suggested they consider making a run at one of the top free agent lineman this offseason—Philadelphia’s Javon Hargrave.
“The Bears need to entirely retool their defensive line, and they’ve offered hints that they’d like to do it from the inside-out,” Shapiro wrote. “…[Hargrave’s] been an absolute force for the Eagles and seems to get better with age. …He had a great 2021 campaign as well, and he earned Pro Bowl honors that year. Hargrave may be more of a nose tackle than three-tech, and three-tech is the more coveted position in Eberflus’ defense, but that shouldn’t matter. Hargrave would bring a big boost to the line.”
Hargrave, 29, set career highs this year in sacks (11), tackles for loss (10), pressures (64) and hurries (46). He would be an instant upgrade to a Bears defensive line that got just 48 pressures and four sacks from its defensive tackles. Hargrave’s 29 tackles and 17 stops in run defense were fourth-most on the team and tops among Eagles defensive linemen.
Hargrave has a projected market value of $20.1 million per season according to Spotrac, and the Bears, who have a league-high $91.83 million in cap space, are one of the few teams that can afford him.
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