Here’s who Bears GM Ryan Poles may have his eyes on during the Cowboys-49ers game and the Bills-Bengals game.
Even with Cole Kmet’s continued growth in 2022, the Bears offense could stand to gain with the addition of a pass catching tight end. Schultz fits the bill and finished second on the Cowboys this year in both catches, receiving yards and touchdowns, with 57, 577 and five apiece.
The Bears need lots of help on the defensive line, and Fowler would be an immediate upgrade coming off the edge. Fowler didn’t start for the Cowboys this year, since he was playing behind DeMarcus Lawrence and Dorance Armstrong, but he still managed six sacks, seven TFLs and two forced fumbles.Another rotational defensive line player for the Cowboys. Hankins contributed against the run on limited snaps this season, and notched his first sack of the year against the Bucs in the Wild Card round.McGlinchey has been a reliable right tackle for the Niners since he took over the position in 2019. He played 94% of the team’s snaps in 2022 and only gave up 27 pressures in 562 passing opportunities according to PFF.Ebukam is not a flashy defensive end like Nick Bosa, but he’s been a steady contributor for the 49ers. Over his two seasons with the team, he has 9.5 sacks, 74 tackles and 12 TFLs. He also has at least one forced fumble in every year of his career dating back to 2017.Edmunds hasn’t made the big splash plays that Bills fans expected when the team drafted him with the No. 16 overall pick in 2018, but he’s been a steady force in the middle of their defense. The Bears will need to beef up their linebacking corps, and Edmunds has recorded over 100 tackles in every season of his career and has made the Pro Bowl twice. He’s missing the forced fumbles that Matt Eberflus covets, however.Lawson is another player who could be considered for a rotational role on the Bears defensive line. He’s not a major impact player, but has 25 career sacks, 40 TFLs and seven forced fumbles dating back to 2016.This signing may depend on Eddie Jackson’s health moving forward. Jackson had a resurgent season in 2022, but suffered a Lisfranc injury in Week 12. If he’s good to go moving forward, expect him to play beside Jaquan Brisker again. If not, Bates could replace Jackson’s ballhawking ability. Bates had four interceptions in 2022, and has 14 picks dating back to 2018. Further, he does well as the last line of defense and has had three 100-tackle seasons.Apple has bounced around the league ever since the Giants traded him away in 2018. He’s come under scrutiny ever since former Giants teammates said he was a clubhouse cancer, but Apple enjoyed a renaissance of sorts with the Bengals. He surrendered just a 57% completion rate when targeted this season.
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