Bears general manager Ryan Poles has shown he's not afraid to make a big move when the right opportunity to add to an area of need presents itself.
Chase Claypool, Montez Sweat, and Keenan Allen were all significant trades made by Poles to bolster an area of weakness. Last week, Poles attempted to take another gamble by trading for disgruntled pass rusher Matthew Judon. That deal fell through due to Judon's desire for a new contract and the inability to work out an extension before pushing the trade through.
The New England Patriots eventually traded Judon to the Atlanta Falcons for a third-round pick, and the Bears' search for pass-rush help opposite Sweat continued.
Judon is a big name, but trading for the 32-year-old edge rusher and giving him a new deal fresh off a biceps injury wasn't the right move at the right time for the Bears. That's a deal to make when the contention window has been fully thrown open, not when it's just creaking ajar with the arrival of rookie quarterback Caleb Williams.
But the move Poles made Friday, acquiring edge rusher Darrell Taylor from the Seattle Seahawks for a 2025 sixth-round pick, is the right kind of move for the 2024 team.
Taylor, 27, was a second-round pick back in 2020. In the past three seasons, Taylor has recorded 21.5 sacks and 90 pressures. In 2022, Taylor notched 9.5 sacks and 27 pressures while having a pass-rush win percentage of 8.9, per Pro Football Focus. Last season, Taylor had 5.5 sacks, 27 pressures, and a win percentage of 6.2.
Taylor figures to slot in as a rotational edge rusher on passing situations when the Bears kick DeMarcus Walker inside.
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Per PFF, Taylor ranked 122 out of 196 edge rushers in pass rushing last season. He ranked 68 spots ahead of Yannick Ngakoue, who remains a free agent after spending last season with the Bears.
Taylor struggles against the run, but the Bears should use Walker and training camp riser Daniel Hardy on run downs along with Sweat.
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Taylor is a low-risk addition who will provide the Bears with needed pass-rush depth behind Sweat, Walker, and rookie Austin Booker. The 27-year-old Taylor is also in the final year of his contract and, unlike Judon, did not require a new deal as a condition for the trade.
Taylor will fill a role this fall, and Poles saved his financial flexibility to make a bigger move either at the trade deadline or in the offseason that better lines up with the Williams rookie contract contention window.
The Bears needed pass-rush help, and Poles acquired a productive situational pass-rusher for pennies while keeping his options open for the future.
It's the type of move that fits the 2024 Bears. It strengthens a weakness without putting the larger vision at risk.
