The Chicago Bears were on the verge of reaching the NFC Championship Game and potentially the Super Bowl during last season’s magical run under first-year head coach Ben Johnson and star quarterback Caleb Williams.
While the team achieved many improbable wins, it’s believed they are well-positioned to compete in the future, especially with Williams and other young offensive stars, including Rome Odunze, Colston Loveland, and Kyle Monangai. However, the team also has a significant issue to address with its defense deficiencies.
It’s something the team could get a boost from through the right draft moves, free-agent signings, or a major trade. The latter of those is something Colin Cowherd recently strongly urged the Bears, head coach Johnson, and GM Ryan Poles to be more aggressive about making a deal.
During “The Herd with Colin Cowherd,” the FS1 personality said the Bears are the favorites to land Crosby over any other NFL team and that they need to “go for it.”
“Ben Johnson is an aggressive guy. Ryan Poles is an aggressive GM. Go for it… It’s not a roll of the dice, he’s an elite player,” Cowherd said.
“It’s the number one need, edge pressure,” he also said, mentioning that Crosby is the second-best defensive player in the league behind only the Cleveland Browns’ Myles Garrett.
An additional talking point was that the Bears just traded for an offensive lineman, Drew Dalman, from the Atlanta Falcons, and now he’s decided to retire.
“You only got two years left on Caleb Williams with the rookie deal. He’s gonna get expensive,” Cowherd warned, suggesting the Bears need to “strike while the iron is hot” for Crosby.
During his discussion, Cowherd warned against being too “passive,” like the “goofy Cincinnati Bengals” were, by letting Trey Hendrickson walk away.
“They don’t sign him. They don’t trade him, and then just let him walk out the door for nothing. What are you doing?” he asked.
Cowherd also mentioned that Crosby has a lot of love for the Bears’ Ben Johnson as the team’s head coach and play-caller. In previous remarks, Crosby mentioned he “respects the hell out of him” and how he works with and manages his players.
“Sounds like he’s planting a seed for the Chicago Bears,” Cowherd finished with.
In addition, Crosby recently featured Caleb Williams on his podcast, where the two chopped it up about football, further suggesting Crosby’s interest in the team.
Obviously, adding Crosby to the roster would be a huge move for the Bears this offseason. Defensively, the team allowed 361.8 yards per game to opponents, and despite some big contributions throughout the season and playoffs, Crosby gives them the sort of presence they need on the field and in the locker room.
Other teams linked to Crosby in the ongoing trade rumors include playoff contenders such as the New England Patriots, Philadelphia Eagles, and Dallas Cowboys.
However, the asking price will be quite high, as the Bears may need to part with their first-round draft pick, and several key roster members, which could include linebacker Tremaine Edmund, wide receiver DJ Moore, or both.
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