5 free agent edge rushers Chicago Bears should sign before training camp

1. The Chicago Bears should sign Justin Houston

There is not a better fit for the Chicago Bears than Justin Houston. Houston may be another player who wants to win a ring, but he also may see something with Justin Fields that helps him come to Chicago. More than that, he at least has the familiarity that causes him to be a great fit.

He was on the Indianapolis Colts for the 2019 and 2020 seasons. That means two seasons in a Matt Eberflus scheme. He held up against the run, he bought into the HITS principles, and he was a locker room leader. This is what Eberflus would love to get out of Houston again in 2023.

More than that, he spent 2011 through 2018 with the Kansas City Chiefs. Ryan Poles was with the Kansas City Chiefs from 2009 through 2021. Poles was a college scouting coordinator for the Kansas City Chiefs when Houston was drafted, so yeah, he is familiar, and Houston is clearly familiar with him.

Poles may pay up for this type of guy to be the leader in the locker room. Houston may sign for a team on the rise, rather than contending because he knows Eberflus and Poles, and knows he is a great fit for the scheme. He also may think his leadership will leave a long impact and possibly even extend his career.

Houston is going to be 35, and he went from 577 snaps in 2021 to 397 snaps in 2022. Still, the Bears would love to add him to the room right before training camp.