Chicago Bears: 5 Free agent targets still available
By Evan Bruner
Chicago Bears Free Agency: Yannick Ngakoue, DE
Yannick Ngakoue has been the consensus top free agent available for several weeks now. Although he wasn’t signed during the first wave of free agency, the expectation seemed to be the former Colt would find a home sooner rather than later.
Fast forward to the second week of May, and Ngakoue is still unsigned with seemingly few offers. From a production standpoint, Ngakoue has been an impactful player since entering the league. While his inability to stop the run has certainly hindered him at times, his knack for getting to the quarterback has made Ngakoue a valuable asset.
Ngakoue is far from a perfect fit. He will be joining his sixth in the last four years, and his unbalanced skill set makes him almost useless in short-yardage situations. But the Chicago Bears don’t have a better alternative. They can either sign a player like Ngakoue to bolster their outside pass rush or stick with Trevis Gipson as the starting left end.
When it came to hitting the quarterback last season, no team was worse than the Bears. 20 sacks in 17 games are beyond pitiful and the antithesis of winning football in the 2020s. Ngakoue fills a major need, and with the offseason quickly winding down, he has less leverage in contract negotiations. Plus, at only 28 years old, he’s a multi-year contract candidate.