Montez Sweat acquisition a move made for Bears' future

It had been a quiet morning on Halloween, which was doubling as the NFL's trade deadline this year. That is, until a most unlikely of buyer came along and started handing out treats. The 2-6 Chicago Bears acquired 27-year-old pass rusher Montez Sweat from Washington in exchange for what will almost certainly be an early second-round pick. It was a pretty sweet deal for the Commanders.

It's a huge upgrade for Chicago, to be sure. The defense has just five sacks this season. Sweat has already tallied 6.5 by himself. The Bears can also afford to sign Sweat to a long-term deal almost immediately — and should. They are projected to have the most cap space of any team in 2024 with nearly $90 million, according to Spotrac. Signing Sweat wasn't a move made for this year. It was a move made for the future.

That's why it's interesting they gave up such high capital for Sweat, when Sweat's former teammate, Chase Young, was traded for a late-third-round compensatory pick from the San Francisco 49ers. Sure, Young has proven to be more injury prone than Sweat but Young is also, well, younger. It's hard not to think the Bears overpaid when the difference in draft position will likely end up being over 50 spots for a comparable player (Young has five sacks so far this season). 

But giving up premium capital was basically buying the right to sign Sweat at market value, instead of overpaying for a pass rusher in free agency. This is where self-awareness comes in on the Bears' part. If they were to wait and sign a pass rusher in free agency, they'd likely have to beat out every other offer for a hot commodity. Pass rushers aren't taking team-friendly deals to come to snowy Chicago with a team that is still in the process of a rebuild. The Bears can't entice them with good weather or no state income tax. They aren't playing with a generational talent already on the roster. By executing a trade, Chicago is guaranteed to get an elite-level player and the ability to sign him immediately for market value.

Trying to bolster the defense now can also be interpreted as a vote of confidence in head coach Matt Eberflus moving forward. Signing a pass rusher to a long-term deal doesn't make a whole lot of sense if Chicago is just going to pull the rug (the system) out from underneath him half a season later. If Sweat can make an immediate impact on the Bears' anemic pass rush, that's all the better. It will make Eberflus' case to stay stronger.

Of course, teams always need pass rushers no matter what system they run. It's worth noting that the Bears' current Tampa 2 system under Eberflus needs production out of two crucial positions: weakside linebacker and three-technique defensive tackle. Chicago got one in free agency with Tremaine Edmunds. They are relying on younger players and a rotation up front to make up for the latter. Why the Bears haven't looked to sign an interior tackle could also be construed as not being sold on Eberflus' system. Time will tell.

Giving up a high second-round pick is still a risk that Chicago hasn't earned the benefit of the doubt in taking. They gave up the 32nd overall pick in 2023 for wide receiver Chase Claypool. After a tumultuous and short time in the Windy City, Claypool was dealt for a pick swap of sixth- and seventh-round picks in 2025. It was an absolute disaster and a major blemish on the early tenure of general manager Ryan Poles. Sweat will need to be a perennial double-digit-sack artist to justify Poles taking the risk and paying what was immediately considered a rich price for him. There are immediate expectations to overcome. 

There is still room for creativity given the assets the Bears still have both monetarily and in the draft. They will have plenty of cap space leftover after whatever contract they give Sweat while still retaining both of their first-round picks, which could both be in the top five. Perhaps that's why Chicago seems so cavalier with second-round picks: they have plenty more assets where those came from. 

Poles might still have some tricks up his sleeve yet.

Carmen Vitali covers the NFC North for FOX Sports. Carmen had previous stops with The Draft Network and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. She spent six seasons with the Bucs, including 2020, which added the title of Super Bowl Champion (and boat-parade participant) to her résumé. You can follow Carmen on Twitter at @CarmieV.