Chicago Bears: A possible trade solution to their EDGE concern

The Chicago Bears looked on as other teams have invested heavily in the edge rusher market. Justin Houston and Clay Matthews were the latest.

With each name that comes off the market, concern grows among fans. While the defense appears to be okay at the top with Khalil Mack and Leonard Floyd, behind them is a desert of uncertainty. Aaron Lynch is gone. Sam Acho is gone. Isaiah Irving and Kylie Fitts are unproven. Given the health history of Floyd to this point, one would imagine the Bears would view that #3 pass rusher spot with a little more importance.

Yet nothing continues to happen. It is difficult to ascertain what GM Ryan Pace is doing. Is he simply waiting for a cheap option he likes to come around or does he have another move in mind? Word is the Bears are combing through the 2019 draft class look at potential edge rush prospects. The typical style of Pace would be to sign a veteran and then couple him with a draft pick to shore up a position.

However, that doesn’t have to be the only option. What if the Bears were to consider a trade?

Jack Conklin getting pushed around by Whitney Mercilus. pic.twitter.com/fFToQEGKip
— Rivers McCown (@riversmccown) November 27, 2018

Chicago Bears could look into the availability of Whitney Mercilus

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Pace may not be wild about the idea of giving up more draft picks via trade, but at this point, he only has five for 2019 anyway. None of them go above the 3rd round too. So why not see if he can score an instant contributor for what could be a deep playoff run this season? That’s why the name Whitney Mercilus is one to watch.

It’s been speculated for months that the Houston Texans might at least be open to the idea of moving on from their former 1st round pick. Mark Lane of USA Today explained the reasoning behind such a decision.

"“The former 2012 first-round pick from Illinois is entering the final year of his contract, and he will be 29 years old come Week 1. He is entering territory where Father Time may have considerable influence on his career. The Texans prepared for this outcome when they took Duke Ejiofor, the Alief Taylor High School product, in the sixth round of the 2018 NFL draft. Ejiofor produced a sack, a tackle for loss, and had a fumble recovery in his 12 games for Houston.What is going to get Mercilus cut isn’t necessarily going to be the player in a vacuum. It is going to be the development of Ejiofor throughout the offseason.”"

Mercilus will be a free agent in 2020.

The odds of Houston keeping him are unlikely. Aside from Ejiofor, they also have a strong defensive draft class this coming April. One rich in solid pass rushers. By trading him they not only get over $6 million in cap space but also a draft pick in return. Besides, Mercilus’ production has gone steadily down the past few years. His four sacks in 2018 was a career low for a season in which he played at least 15 games.

However, he still had 43 pressures, which is 27 more than Aaron Lynch had. Chicago can afford his contract as is and at the very least he can be a competent rotational pass rusher behind Mack and Floyd. Given Chuck Pagano’s reputation for elevating that position, the move has a degree of upside to it as well.

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