The Chicago Bears have a big need to fill at defensive end following an underwhelming season from their pass rush, and there were plenty of rumors linking them to superstar pass rusher Maxx Crosby.
The biggest domino of this NFL offseason fell on Friday when the Las Vegas Raiders traded Crosby to the Baltimore Ravens in exchange for two first-round draft picks. Crosby was undoubtedly the biggest name on the market, no matter the position, but with teams having an emphasized focus on pass rush, there were several teams tied to him.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler revealed that, while they were monitoring the situation, the Bears weren’t serious contenders to land Crosby in the end.
“The Chicago Bears monitored the situation,” Fowler wrote, “but the sense was they weren’t major players in the end.”
Chicago will now shift their focus to other names on the free agent edge market, as negotiations are set to begin Monday. The Bears also will miss out on one of their former players, veteran Khalil Mack, who agreed to return to the Chargers on a one-year deal late Saturday evening.
The edge rush position is going to be a big one for general manager Ryan Poles, looking to finally fill a void on the opposite end of Montez Sweat and help Chicago’s defense get after opposing quarterbacks more frequently next year. But it doesn’t sound like the Bears are gearing up to make a splash at edge rusher in free agency.
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This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: How serious were the Bears in their pursuit of Maxx Crosby?
Reporting by Mike Pendleton, Bears Wire / Bears Wire
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
