When the Patriots traded Pro Bowl edge rusher Matt Judon to the Falcons on Wednesday, a top name on the transfer market was no longer available.

Both Brad Spielberger and Jordan Schultz confirmed that the Chicago Bears were the other team pushing for a trade for Judon, though New England ultimately decided against trading him to Chicago. The news was hardly surprising, as the defensive end position is widely viewed as the Bears’ biggest weakness heading into the 2024 season. While Judon’s production and talent are undeniable, giving up a third-round pick for a 32-year-old who is coming off an injury and would require a contract extension seemed like too high a price to pay for him.

Judon won’t be the move the Bears make to sign another defensive lineman alongside Pro Bowler Montez Sweat, but that doesn’t mean the current group will remain unchanged before the regular season begins. In fact, there are still a few players available that they can add to bolster their pass rush.

Granted, most of their options won’t secure the position long-term. That’s usually normal when making changes close to the start of the season. However, if they want to add some talent to at least rotate in with DeMarcus Walker and Austin Booker in the 2024 season, these are some realistic options they could pursue.

Haason Reddick, Trade

If the Bears want to gain a foothold in the transfer market, Reddick seems to be their only real chance to find a star.

The Jets signed Reddick without negotiating a contract extension, and as the saga continues without a new deal for the star pass rusher, he has requested a trade before even suiting up for the team. His impact is obvious; he is a two-time Pro Bowler and has 50.5 sacks over the past four seasons. Assuming the transfer fee for him is similar to Judon, the Bears would likely have to give up value equivalent to a third-round pick and pay Reddick big money. It’s a bold move, but the thought of pairing Sweat and Reddick together might be too good to pass up.

Yannick Ngakoue, Free Agent

Ngakoue did not have the season the Bears hoped for in 2023, recording just 4.0 sacks, a career low, and finishing with a miserable PFF rating of 39.9.

However, his performance has improved somewhat in the few games he has overlapped with Montez Sweat. He knows Matt Eberflus’ defense, he’s a familiar face in the locker room, and he’s put in impressive performance every year leading up to 2023. The Bears certainly shouldn’t bet on Ngakoue dropping double digits, but he could be worth a shot if he gets a cheaper but similarly structured pro-it deal like last year.

Shaq Lawson, out-of-contract player

Lawson has spent time working with Bears defensive coordinator Eric Washington and played for the Bills in 2022 and 2023 when Washington was the defensive line coach there.

He’s not a star, having only recorded one sack for Buffalo last year, but he’s still a solid and powerful edge rusher who brings experience. If the Bears simply want to add a name to the team and have another player who can work alongside Austin Booker, the 30-year-old Lawson could be an option.

Justin Houston, out-of-contract player

Who knows if the Bears are interested in Houston, who is 35 years old and definitely not at the peak of his career.

However, you could do worse than the four-time Pro Bowler, who had 11.5 sacks just two seasons ago. He worked under Eberflus for two seasons with the Colts, recording 11.0 and 8.0 sacks in those years, respectively. At this stage of his career, he’s probably best suited to a rotational role, which is what the Bears would likely offer him. Familiarity and a path to playing time could be enticing as Houston looks for a spot in what could be his final season.