LAKE FOREST, Ill. — Friday’s setup wasn’t new for Yannick Ngakoue.
The pass rusher answered questions about his new teammates, coaches and expectations during his fifth induction press conference in five seasons.
For a productive pass rusher like Ngakoue, who has recorded at least eight sacks in each season of his NFL career, the team merry-go-round (which now includes the Chicago Bears) has been the norm since 2020. There is. season.
But for Ngakoue, something feels different about this. Pointing to the bear tattoo on his right hand, the pass rusher said the trip to Chicago aligns with where he is in his career. If the defensive end can repeat his 9.5 sack season with Indianapolis a year ago, he could earn a long-term contract until he’s 30.
“It was a great fit,” Ngakoue said. “Going back to what this culture means here and our history here, it’s a great transition because of my position coach – it’s an easy transition.” [Travis Smith] and my defensive coordinator [Alan Williams]”
For the Bears, if Ngakoue can get a similar level of production to what he’s produced over the past four seasons, the one-year, $10.5 million investment will be worth it.
Chicago’s need for pass rush help is as vital to the team’s growth as the additions the Bears made on offense to help Justin Fields become their franchise quarterback. General manager Ryan Pauls has remained steady over the past few months, finding ways to add to the roster while being realistic about what the Bears can do in one offseason.
But the obvious needs of a defensive line that produced 20 sacks (the lowest in the NFL) and pressured opposing quarterbacks on 22% of passing plays (second-worst) couldn’t be ignored.
Adding DeMarcus Walker at edge rusher wasn’t enough. The Bears are counting on the development of defensive ends Trevis Gipson and Dominick Robinson, but they needed to get a player who could drop in, adapt quickly and be productive. Ngakoue did it in Minnesota (he finished 2020 as the Vikings’ sack leader with six games), Baltimore, Las Vegas and Indianapolis.
The Bears want to see if he can raise the ceiling of their entire defensive line.
“He works hard during practice and is in great shape,” coach Matt Eberflus said. “In order to be a good pass rusher and be effective, you have to have a successful pass rusher and knock down everything. You can’t make the playoffs and that requires you to be in top shape and that You have to have the mentality.”
For reference, there were 27 defensive linemen with seven or more sacks last season, including Ngakoue of the Colts. Chicago’s entire group of defensive linemen combined for 7.5 points. The Bears were led in sacks by then-rookie safety Jaquan Brisker (4).
Chicago’s secondary won’t need to overcompensate like it did in 2022 if it has a formidable pass rush to rely on.
“It’s a big difference,” safety Eddie Jackson said. “When you get that kind of rush, the quarterback doesn’t have time to sit there and caress the ball all day. … Just being able to apply pressure up front helps tremendously on the back end. We will be able to take advantage of that as well.”
Of course, Ngakoue can’t do it alone. Despite his deficiencies against the run, Eberflus said the Pro Bowler will be more than just a pass rusher, but the rotation on the defensive line is dependent on other players performing.
That’s where Walker’s career-high seven sacks, which he recorded last year at Tennessee, come into play. Development is critical to the team’s success up front for Robinson, who worked with 14-year NFL veteran edge rusher Robert Mathis this offseason.
“I needed to set the edge better,” Williams said. “We needed to rush the passer more. We want to play more violently and have a more physical game when winning one-on-ones and executing run stunts. Another thing that’s important is excellence in detail. is.”
The Bears’ 2022 subtraction was part of the early stages of a team rebuild. This season, the atmosphere has changed due to the reinforcement of the defensive team. The Bears started linebackers Tremaine Edmunds and TJ Edwards. They drafted cornerbacks Tyrik Stephenson and Terrell Smith to strengthen their secondary.
And now they have a top free agent pass rusher to elevate the unit from the NFL’s lower ranks.