The Chicago Bears have had two key positions in the crosshairs as spots they could add to via trade since the offseason and nothing has really changed.
Those two positions are the interior of the defensive line and at edge rusher. Things have calmed down in the latter area since it was a massive concern during the offseason, but with an injury to Dayo Odeyingbo and a suspension for Montez Sweat, adding at edge rusher has come back to the forefront.
For our purposes here, though, we're focused on the interior of the defensive line, which hasn't been good enough.
In run defense, the Bears rank ninth, which is good, but they are also giving up 4.4 yards per carry, which ranks tied for 21st.
In the pass-rush, the Bears haven't gotten much sack production from the group, which is why they miss Gervon Dexter. Through five games, Kentavius Street remains the only interior defender with a sack.
Bears linked to Commanders, Dolphins trade candidates
CBS Sports' Carter Bahns recently identified some buyers and sellers ahead of the trade deadline and he pegged the Bears as one of the teams he expects to be buyers.
And, in the process, Bahns identified Miami Dolphins defensive lineman Zach Sieler and Washington Commanders defensive lineman Daron Payne as possible options for Chicago.
"In order to maximize the team's upside upon Williams' return, general manager Ryan Poles needs to bolster the defense, especially up front. The Bears rank just 20th in quarterback pressure rate and lack depth on both the edge and interior," explained Bahns.
"The edge rusher spot should be a higher priority than defensive tackle since the Bears were mostly quiet at that position in the offseason and just saw Marcus Davenport abruptly retire after Week 4," Bahns added.
Both Sieler and Payne are realistic trade candidates.
Payne is in the final year of his contract and the Commanders are sitting at 1-3-1 and will likely be sellers at the deadline, and Miami isn't going anywhere, either, at 0-5 and it would make sense to unload a 31-year-old player in the midst of a rebuild.
What Sieler, Payne could bring to Bears
Sieler offers versatility with his ability to play inside and out, so he could help Chicago at multiple spots, and he brings juice in the pass-rush.
The 31-year-old has twice tallied 10 sacks in a season (2023 and 2024). He had 5.5 in 17 games last season and has two through five games in 2026, which would lead the Bears' interior defenders.
Sieler's run defense has been lacking this season, as evidenced by his Pro Football Focus run defense grade of 31.6, but Sieler has always been been a plus run defender with grades of 63.2 or better in each of the previous seven seasons.
Payne has been a fairly effective pass-rusher during his career. He had a career-high 11.5 sacks in 2022, and while he hasn't come close to that total since, he does have 11 sacks combined the previous three campaigns. He has one so far this season.
The veteran's run defending skills have been an issue the last handful of seasons, but he is showing improvement in that area this season with a PFF grade of 67.6, his highest since 2020.
While Payne may only be a rental given his contract situation that makes him a free agent after this season, Sieler is under contract through 2029, but the Bears wouldn't be tied to him, either, as Sieler doesn't have any guaranteed money left after 2026.
Given his superior past production in the sacks department and versatility, we would prefer Sieler over Payne, but Chicago would be in better shape than it is now by acquiring either player.
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