Several Former Players Think Bears Nailed The Montez Sweat Trade

If you ask certain experts around the NFL, the Chicago Bears got bamboozled yet again at the trade deadline. GM Ryan Poles felt he needed to help the team’s fledgling pass rush. So he sent a 2nd round pick in 2024 to the Washington Commanders for veteran Montez Sweat. Seth Walder of ESPN gave it a D-, saying a 2-6 team like the Bears had no business dealing priceless future assets for a player that won’t move the bottom line this season. Former GM Michael Lombardi lambasted it as well for similar reasons. Poles stated his belief that Sweat is the force multiplier up front they’ve been lacking.

Not everybody hated the move. In fact, quite a few people with extensive backgrounds in the NFL thought it was great. Three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth was among the first to speak out. Not only does he think the Bears got a great player, but he feels they got him cheap.

Next to speak up was former Pro Bowl receiver Steve Smith. He’s widely known for having strong opinions, and he is more accurate than he gets credit for. So it was interesting to hear him applaud the Sweat addition on NFL Total Access.

Last but not least is Corey Wootton. He was a defensive end himself in the league and played in a similar system to what the Bears employ. Sweat is the perfect solution to several of their problems in his eyes.

Montez Sweat will help the Bears.

That is the takeaway from all of this. Usually, when you add a good player, it makes the team better. Sweat can improve them in a variety of ways. His pass rush prowess is the obvious one. His presence will ensure opposing offenses won’t be able to double-team others on the line. That means more single blocks for Yannick Ngakoue, DeMarcus Walker, and Andrew Billings. It doesn’t cover how good he is as a run defender. The Bears are already 3rd in the league against the run. He ranks third among defensive end in run defense. A growing strength gets even stronger.

No, Montez Sweat is not the elite star every team craves. He’s not Micah Parsons, Nick Bosa, or Myles Garrett. A favorable comparison would be Carlos Dunlap. He will give you 8-10 sacks each year, several additional hits and pressures, and be a constant presence against the run. Players like that may not get the highlight segments on Sportscenter, but they bring immense value to their team. It seems the Bears deserve some credit for recognizing that.