The Chicago Bears currently reside in the basement of the NFC North with a 2-6 record. There are plenty of factors that play into their poor standing. A big piece of the puzzle of Sunday success is the defense. Chicago's defensive unit has allowed opponents to churn up 2,728 yards on them this year, seventh most in the NFL.

Teams they've faced have found pay dirt with ease, scoring 27.3 points per game against them, fifth most in all of football. They've also only managed 10 sacks all year, which is the fewest in the league. They needed help badly, and they may have just found it by pulling off a big trade on deadline day.

Read more: NFL Deadline Day: Every major move made

Montez Sweat trade

The NFL trade deadline was fast approaching, and the Bears needed to do something. Whether it was acknowledging their porous D, or a move to appease their very loyal fan base, they pulled off a trade with the Washington Commanders to acquire defensive end Montez Sweat, in exchange for a second round pick in 2024. Rivals within the division and teams that remain on Chicago's schedule are "sweating" a bit already.

Sweat is in his fifth year in the league, and he's made his presence felt. The former first round draft pick (26th overall) out of Mississippi State in 2019 has been aggravating QBs at a strong clip in 2023, totaling 6.5 sacks in eight games. That number lets fans know they can pretty much expect Sweat to bring down an opposing QB about once a game.

He's not allowing running backs to get outside and turn the corner on him either, with his 32 tackles. And he'll not just bring backs down, he'll rip a ball from them as well. Sweat has forced two fumbles to this point in the season and has forced nine throughout his NFL career.

He is also just one of seven players to have recorded at least five sacks in each of the past five years in the NFL. The others are T.J. Watt, Khalil Mack, Myles Garrett, Maxx Crosby, Chris Jones, and Brian Burns. That's some pretty good company. At 6'6", 262 lbs, Sweat is pretty average at the position in terms of size. But that common size and weight doesn't tell the whole story about what Sweat brings to the proverbial table in Chicago. As Bears general manager Ryan Poles put it,

Montez is a huge addition to our team. He is not only a great player but a great person. We expect him to help elevate our defense.

Sweat's dependability

When a GM talks of character, it's important. It's easy to go out and try to get stat-heavy players who may have a checkered past. But, teams then can't be sure of what they're getting in terms of reliability and accountability. Statistics are great, but being able to depend on a solid player week in and week out has a lot to do with trades and moves via free agency.

For Sweat, you know you can generally expect to see him in uniform every Sunday. During his career thus far, he's had the pads on, and has harassed offenses pretty consistently. He did miss seven games back in 2021 due to a broken jaw, a bout with coronavirus, and the fatal shooting of his brother. You don't see many tougher years than that. 2021 was an anomaly anyhow, as Sweat has not missed a single game in his other four NFL campaigns.

The Michael Strahans, Reggie Whites, and Bruce Smiths of the world do not grow on trees. Superstars at the position aren't walking through the door with regularity. If a franchise can find one that does the job consistently and effectively, stays healthy, and remains out of harm's way off the field, then that's a solid get—and that's just what the Bears did. They filled a massive void, and they're getting all those aforementioned traits out of Sweat.

What the trade means for Washington

In letting Sweat and fellow edge rusher Chase Young go, the Commanders received a second and a third round pick. This is a franchise that is at 3-5 in 2023, already four games back of the NFC East-leading Philadelphia Eagles. But, is there a push for the playoffs in the team's future this season?

That is a much more promising scenario, and a goal they could certainly attain. They're just one game behind the Minnesota Vikings for that coveted final postseason slot in the NFC. Losing Sweat and Young was no small thing, but it wasn't like they traded Terry McLaurin or Sam Howell.

However, the Commanders don't have a ton of depth behind the guys they traded, as they will now be starting a pair of ends in James Smith-Williams and Casey Toohill that have just 13 sacks in eight combined seasons, though Toohill has been showing promise this year with four sacks.

However, looking ahead to 2024 draft, having an extra second-rounder is nothing to sneeze at. The Commanders have a lot of needs, and there will be plenty of talent and ability waiting for them in the draft next April. In the end, this exchange of Sweat for a high draft pick wasn't a huge blockbuster for either franchise, but it should pay decent dividends for both the Bears and the Commanders for at least the next few years.

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference and all contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless stated otherwise.