Erin Hooley/AP Photos
The most important part of the Bears’ trade for defensive end Montez Sweat last season wasn’t the immediate and long-sought boost he gave their pass rush, but rather the long-term opportunity to fill a major need with a player at the onset of his prime.
It was the right time for them to get in on Sweat, a former first-round pick who was good but not great for the Commanders over his first five seasons, as long as the Bears could get him to buy into their plan to take him to the next level.