4 upcoming free agents the Bears should let walk in 2024

2. Yannick Ngakoue, DE

Maybe I'm alone here, but I think the Bears will be just fine without Yannick Ngakoue. Sure, before his injury, he had some big-time flashes. But, for the most part, when I watched this Bears defense, Ngakoue seemed invisible. He was supposed to be that missing piece to the defense, but he wasn't good enough to operate as the alpha pass rusher.

In 13 games this season, Ngakoue finished with only 4.0 sacks. If he kept up that pace, he'd have finished with a career-low 5.5 sacks in 17 games. That isn't the type of production this Bears defense is looking for. If you asked an outlet like Pro Football Focus, they would tell you a similar story. Ngakoue's season-long grade ended at just 39.9, which is also a career-low.

Without him, Montez Sweat has elevated the entire defensive front. This coming offseason, I am certain that Ryan Poles is going to prioritize finding another high-level pass rusher whether it's via the draft or in free agency, and re-signing a journeyman like Ngakoue doesn't seem like it lines up with the direction of this team.