Chicago’s biggest free agent signings this offseason were on their defensive and offensive fronts. Defensive end Dayo Odeyingbo, defensive tackle Grady Jarrett, and center Drew Dalman all earned three-year contracts with values north of $40MM. Odeyingbo will now line up across from Montez Sweat on the ends of the defensive line, which will force a promising, young second-year player to come off the bench in his sophomore campaign. 
According to Kevin Fishbain of The Athletic, Austin Booker seems primed for a breakout season in 2025. A fifth-round rookie last year, Booker didn’t get any starts in his first season, but he became an important member of the defensive line rotation early and often throughout the year. In the first half of the season, he frequently was on the field for a third of the team’s defensive snaps, twice seeing the field for nearly half of the defense’s snaps in games. In his limited time, he tallied 1.5 sacks, four quarterback hits, and three tackles for loss.
Booker benefits most this year from a lack of depth at the position. Defensive tackle Gervon Dexter and second-round rookie Shemar Turner both have the flexibility to kick outside in bigger formations, but behind Sweat and Odeyingbo, Booker is competing as a true edge rusher with Dominique Robinson, Xavier Carlton, Daniel Hardy, and Jamree Kromah. Robinson has more experience than Booker, but in three years, he’s struggled to stay on the field and struggled to make an impact whenever he is available. Carlton is impressive but has much to prove as an undrafted free agent rookie. Hardy was a special teamer for most of last year, and Kromah was an undrafted rookie who failed to ever see the field in 2024.
While Booker didn’t jump off the stat sheet in Year 1, he showed lots of promise. With a lack of serious competition behind him, Booker is primed to enter training camp as the first defensive end off the bench. If he can hold that position going into the regular season, the 22-year-old should have plenty of opportunities to get on the field and make a name for himself in Year 2.
You can wish in one hand and….
And shi t in the other
This is just typical Bears winning the offseason 💩 🤷🏼♂️😂
You’re just upset because the most exciting offseason activity that occurs in Green Bay is a Cheesefest.
And yet? They win. Every dam year….
The Packers are still holding onto trophy polish that had a 2010 expiry date…lol.
Ok Mr Super Bowl shuffle. 🤫😂
How do we get this Kevin Fishbain to join our fantasy league?…lol.
He only plays Best Ball.
No news here. Every young player, unestablished is ready for a break out season.
I think the whole defense will get a chance to be better just because of the scheme. It’s hard to sack the QB when you play bend don’t break. I really hate that defense. You have to think the players do too. Anyway we’ll find out soon enough.
Hopefully that’s the case. Montez Sweat was on a radio interview after the season and made some interesting comments. Montez was surprised how in a season and a half with the Bears there where very few disguises with the defense and very few adjustments during the game. Outside of some player substitutions very little changed in strategy game to game. Reading between the lines Montez basically said you just line up in your spot and play. Overall the D held up in most games. But they got burned late in games.