The Gang Green Player Who Fits Bears Green Rush

The Bears are being urged to add someone from Gang Green to their "green rush."

Trading for an edge rusher has seemed a Bears possibility ever since word came out Washington wouldn't pick up the fifth-year contract option for defensive end Chase Young.

Although it's been the source of rumor, Young's departure from Washington for any team remains only a possibility and one really that wouldn't make much sense for the Commanders considering the tentative state of their coaching staff and instability of ownership. They really only had one year of productivity from a healthy Young before his knee injury in 2021 and it probably makes more sense to keep him than give him away at this point for practically nothing because of uncertainty over his knee's recovery. A more logical time to trade him is after they and everyone else can get a look at him in either preseason or just before the trading deadline in October.

However, Pro Football Focus has become one of several websites pointing out another possibility for the Bears at edge rusher and it's a move far more logical. PFF cap expert Brad Spielberger points to Bryce Huff of the Jets as a player the Bears should pursue in a trade.

The need is obvious for someone else in the rush. Getting a spare part from the Jets' Gang Green to add to what Bears coach Matt Eberflus calls his "green rush" only makes sense.

"The Chicago Bears made several free agent additions on the edge that should be solid against the run on early downs but don’t project to offer much juice to get after opposing quarterbacks," Spielberger wrote.

The moves were signing ends DeMarcus Walker and Rasheem Green, two players known as stout against the run but they've never had more than seven sacks. Eberflus said he plans to move the ends inside in some pass rush situations. Either of those two or Trevis Gipson would figure in well as players who can play the run well but are capable of moving to inside rush spots. They need someone who can rush off the edge in those situations.

"Huff is an assassin on passing downs, where he's been deployed in a limited role," Spielberger wrote about the Jets edge. "His 25.6% pass-rush win rate in 2022 was the top mark in the NFL by more than 3 percentage points among edge rushers with at least 100 pass-rush snaps."

While it might be a bit of an exaggeration to call him an "assassin" as an edge rusher considering he has 7 1/2 career sacks for three seasons, the pressure numbers Huff has generated are impressive. 

For seven starts and 823 defensive reps, he has 35 pressures in three seasons. By comparison, Trevis Gipson has started 19 games and has 1,201 defensive reps but only three more total pressures. PFF's grades made Huff 13th out of 198 defensive linemen at tackle or end rushing the passer.

Huff is a 6-foot-3, 255-pounder who probaably is a bit light to be a regular defensive end in the Bears scheme but would be ideal as a rotational pass rusher. He figures only as a fourth or fifth pass rusher off the edge for the Jets this year.

The rotational pass rusher would easily be a part of the "green rush," as Eberflus has described it.

"We might bring in some other guys," Eberflus said when asked about the rush. "We obviously brought some d-tackles in and all that. We;ll find out where the green rush is, our pass rush team."

That's green as in green light to rush the passer.

"In the passing situations, we'll put our best four out there and we'll probably have two more guys that will rotate in that rush group," Eberflus said.

That would make for six players who can be part of that green rush.

Currently here are their green rush options, and it's easy to see why they would benefit from Huff.

1. DeMarcus Walker

Walker is their surest bet to get to the quarterback. It can come from edge or from defensive tackle, if he's moved inside. He has done this often in the past. He has 47 pressures for 1,607 plays in his career. He's had four or more sacks three times, seven last year with Tennessee. Last year's seven sacks came despite playing only 37% of the snaps. Despite decent numbers, Pro Football Focus graded him as only the 43rd best interior defensive player in the pass rush last year and 33rd against a true pass rush set. He actually ranked below new Bears nose tackle Andrew Billings in this category.

2. Trevis Gipson

Twice Gipson's defensive grades from PFF were in the 40s overall for an entire season and that's poor. One was last year. Each time it was when he was adjusting and learning to a new scheme. They have to hope this year will be like in 2021 when he knew the defense better and produced seven sacks as Khalil Mack's replacement in the old scheme. Gipson defended the run well last year, ranking sixth in the NFL in run defense win rate according to ESPN. However, the green rush needs players who can get to the passer. Gipson had three sacks and 18 pressures last year. They need more pressure and a good deal more sacks from a player who figures into the green rush at the moment.

3. Rasheem Green

He's made 63 pressures over the last four seasons but 24 came in one season with the Seahawks when he played a career-high 846 snaps. Green has played 2,526 snaps, more than any Bears defender except Justin Jones. And Jones had only 36 more plays. Like other Bears in this rush group, he hasn't produced the big sack numbers. He his 6 1/2 sacks in 2021 was his best. It's his only year with more than four despite all of the snaps he has played.

4. Justin Jones

Jones' 2022 season showed promise if he is put into the mix with a better supporting cast. He made three sacks in his first year playing three technique in the Bears front. He also had 12 tackles for loss, which is outstanding and displays his ability to get into the backfield for any reason. He can even rush off the edge, as the Bears tried using him there in a couple games late last year. What Jones has to show is an ability to finish with sacks. He has never done this even with the Chargers, his first team.

5. Gervon Dexter Jr.

He's more of an interior pass rush option or even exterior, because he is 6-foot-6 and makes it more difficult for quarterbacks to see. But he had only 4 1/2 career sacks and only a couple of tipped passes even with that big height edge. His 40 speed is almost the same as fellow rookie Zacch Pickens at 4.88, so he can move. However, he has come to the Bears from a two-gap system and needs to learn the get-off into the gap and up the field for run disruption or pass rush. There are better choices for the green rush.

6. Zacch Pickens

Their rookie third-rounder has good quickness to get into the gap and upfield as a potential run-game disruption. They probably could do worse as an interior pass rusher, because he had 4.89-second speed in the 40. However, he had just 7 1/2 sacks in his college career and is more of an early down option to rush the passer and make tackles for loss against the run.

7. Dominique Robinson

It's all speculation whether Robinson can help. He had 1 1/2 sacks last year, and those came in the first game. He had two quarterback hits and nine pressures despite playing 550 defensive snaps. This was a developmental player who didn't appear to develop, and at 249 pounds last year he doesn't look like someone who can move inside for the green rush. He's limited to an outside slot, which probably means he'd be one of the fifth or sixth rotational players for the rush more than he would be one of the key components.

8. Terell Lewis

He made six career sacks and 13 pressures with the Rams for 823 total plays in an injury riddled career and might not be part of the 53-man roster.

9. Jalyn Holmes

A fourth-rounder from the Vikings who figures at end or in rush situations inside, he hasn't done much of anything wherever he played. He has 14 pressures, five QB hits and one sack for 971 career plays.

10. Andrew Billings

He's the starting nose tackle, a run stuffer and a monstrosity but not someone with closing speed to be considered for the green rush group. If you were honest about it, based on the inexperience of the rookies, he might be a better option at the moment for the green rush than either Dexter or Pickens.

11. Travis Bell

A seventh-round rookie who will be fortunate to make the roster as an interior defender on run downs, but not a pass rusher.

12. D'Anthony Jones

An undrafted rookie from Houston and Long Beach Community College who had 15 career sacks for the Cougars but is small to be a tackle in the NFL. His issue will be making the team or even the practice squad.

13. Jalen Harris

Defensive end and son of former Bears linebacker Sean Harris, he is a solid all-around player for an undrafted free agent in that he stops the run and rushes well. He also has a nice ability to use his 6-4 height to swat down passes. But like Jones, he'll be challenged even to make the team and practice squad.