Grading Chicago Bears 2023 Free Agent Signings through bye week of 2023
DeMarcus Walker, DL
DeMarcus Walker has a $6.4m cap hit. For what he is being paid, he is not that much of an overpay, but the Chicago Bears were definitely asking him to do too much early into his tenure with the team.
Walker was signed to be a depth piece; that is what he is best at. He can defend the run on the edge and slide inside to rush the passer. However, without much depth on the edges, the team was leaning on Walker to start and play a career-high in snaps. The addition of Montez Sweat did two things to Walker.
First, it lowered his snap counts. Second, it got the best out of him. Walker has had nine pressures in the last two weeks. The Bears are able to use him rotationally and line him up in good matchups. Also, he is more rested when he rushes. It is still not a hit of a signing, and the team needed Sweat because Walker was not good enough. Still, the team is at fault for thinking he would be good enough.