ESPN analyst rips Bears for Montez Sweat trade

ESPN analyst rips Bears for Montez Sweat trade originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

Ryan Poles recently made a splashy trade deadline deal for the second consecutive year, and at least one outlet is raising doubts about its impact on the team’s direction.

On Tuesday, the Chicago Bears acquired Montez Sweat, a defensive end, from the Washington Commanders in exchange for a second-round pick.

In an article on ESPN, Seth Walder criticizes Ryan Poles for “devoting major draft capital to improving a bad, noncontending team,” referring to the Bears’ decision to acquire Sweat.

Walder argues that Sweat’s value is negligible to the Bears this season and questions their decision to pay a high price for him. He highlights that the second-round pick the Bears traded away is likely to be an early-round selection, with ESPN’s Football Power Index predicting a high chance of the Bears drafting in the top five or top ten.

The addition of an elite edge rusher like Sweat is undoubtedly an important move to strengthen the Bears’ struggling pass rush. However, Walder suggests that the improvement in Sweat’s performance doesn’t justify sacrificing resources that could be used to build for the future.

Walder highlights Sweat’s modest career stats and questions his consistency as a pass rusher. He also mentions Sweat’s age, 27, suggesting that he might already be in his prime and not likely to improve further.

In ESPN’s evaluation of the trade, it receives a D- grade.

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