Cutting McPhee, Young leaves Bears short-handed for edge rushers

While outside linebacker Willie Young had the most sacks on the team from 2014-2016, the Chicago Bears decided to release him on Wednesday. John Starks | Staff Photographer

INDIANAPOLIS -- A week ago, the Bears had a serious need to add juice to the pass rush because backups Lamarr Houston and Sam Acho are soon-to-be free agents and their top remaining edge rusher, Leonard Floyd, has missed 10 games in his first two seasons.

Now that need has become more critical.

Oft-injured but occasionally effective Pernell McPhee (14 sacks in the past three years) was cut on Monday. On Wednesday, Willie Young was let go, even though his 24 sacks from 2014-2016 were easily the most by a Bears player in that three-year span. Young, 32, only played in four games last season before tearing a triceps muscle, and had two sacks last year before he was sidelined.

The end result is general manager Ryan Pace now has a greater sense of urgency as he and his staff evaluate the edge rushers this week at the NFL Scouting Combine.

"Pass rush is always a priority for us," Pace said. "You can never have enough pass rush, so that's a position of need."

Much is expected from the lanky Floyd, the ninth overall draft pick in 2016, and Pace says he's pleased with Floyd's offseason work after a sprained knee landed him on injured reserve for the final six games last season. Pace expects Floyd to be a full participant when team's offseason program begins in April. The bigger issue is whether Floyd can stay healthy for 16 games.

"He's added strength," Pace said of the 6-foot-4, 240-pound Floyd. "He's added size, which I think is going to help as he matures as an NFL player. His rehab couldn't be going better. Just the way he's attacking that. We feel really good about the progress he's making."

The Bears were No. 6 in the NFL in sack percentage last season, even though DL Akiem Hicks, with 8 ½, was their only player with more sacks than Floyd's 4 ½. While Vic Fangio's defense in 2017 had a little pass rush from a lot of players, most of them could soon be gone.

McPhee and Houston each had 4, and Houston got his in the final five weeks after he was signed as a free agent. Acho had 3 sacks, and DL Mitch Unrein had 2 ½ but he's also a free agent, as is Christian Jones, who added 2 sacks.

In Fangio's defense, much of the pass-rush burden falls on the outside linebackers, a position that needs to be restocked.

The Bears are expected to have upward of $60 million available under the salary cap, but Pace has always been leery of diving into the deep end of free agency, and he's had as many misses as hits in his first three years on the job.

"It's a big responsibility," Pace said of spending the money wisely. "We always use the word 'disciplined' or 'calculated.' Those are all things that come into play. But hey, we're in good position, we have a lot of cap space, we have a high pick in the draft, we have seven draft picks."

Much more help will be available in the draft, where the Bears have the eighth overall selection and single picks in Round Two and Rounds 5-7. Despite no pick in Round Three, they have two in Round Four. It's considered a strong class of edge rushers.

Elite edge rushers rarely get to the open market in free agency. The Lions have already tagged Ziggy Ansah, and the Cowboys are expected to retain DeMarcus Lawrence.

"A lot of times guys become free agents for a reason," Pace said. "As we continue to build our roster more and more through the draft, maybe we won't have to supplement as much in free agency. But we have to be mindful of that. It is risky."

It certainly has been for the Bears.

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