Latest news with #AustinBooker
Forbes
3 days ago
- Sport
- Forbes
How Would Bears' Austin Booker Look Alongside Micah Parsons?
Would the Cowboys really trade Micah Parsons? If so, the Bears are a team to watch. They have all of the components to make a trade: a highly aggressive general manager (Ryan Poles), a full array of draft picks, just enough cap room and, if their exhibition opener is more than just a tease, a surplus of edge rushers. Second-year player Austin Booker was a force of nature on Sunday against the Miami Dolphins. He piled up three sacks, including a strip sack of rookie Quinn Ewers, and got a stop on a third-and-goal from the 1. He also contributed to a Dominique Robinson sack by forcing Zach Wilson out of the pocket. Booker tied veteran cornerback Tre Flowers and linebackers Noah Sewell and Ruben Hyppolite II with a team-high six tackles in the 24-24 tie. He accounted for four of the Bears' eight quarterback hits. Head coach Ben Johnson described him as 'a menace.' NFL Network analyst Jim Miller wasn't surprised. The former Bears quarterback keeps close tabs on Halas Hall, and knows the potential the 22-year-old Booker has shown when given chances to play. Miller compared him to the Raiders' Maxx Crosby, who has piled up 59 1/2 sacks in six seasons after being selected in the fourth round of the 2019 draft. At 6-6, 245 pounds, Booker is built like Crosby. Neither was viewed as a difference-maker entering the NFL. While Crosby played three seasons at Eastern Michigan, Booker played only 18 games between Minnesota and Kansas. He caught the attention of scouts while getting eight sacks for Lance Leopold's team in 2023, and Poles was thrilled to land him in the fifth round after focusing on the offense at the top of the draft (Caleb Williams, Rome Odunze and Kiran Amegadjie). Booker played behind veterans Montez Sweat and DeMarcus Walker last season, coming off the bench in all 17 games. Miller speculated during Sunday's broadcast he might have been better off had he stayed at Kansas and entered the 2025 draft and the graders at Pro Football Focus seemed to agree. They ranked him 109th among 119 edge rushers. Poles released Walker in February and he's remained unsigned. The move opened up $5.25 million in cap space, which Poles quickly reinvested in 25-year-old edge rusher Dayo Odeyingbo, who had eight sacks in 2023 for Indianapolis. While Odeyingbo had a down season in '24, PFF still ranked him 54th overall, which was one spot ahead of Sweat. The latter regressed in his second season in Chicago, with his sack total dropping from 12 1/5 (between Washington and Chicago) to 5 1/2. While Sweat no longer seems to be a dynamic player, he's solid and offers the financial certainty Jerry Jones wishes he had with Parsons. Sweat, signed to a four-year, $98 million extension when the Bears acquired him midway through '23, enters his age-29 season with three years left on his contract. Would Dallas take Sweat in a trade that included the Bears' 2025 first-rounder among multiple draft picks, possibly including a couple of second-rounders? That could be more attractive than simply amassing draft picks as Jerry Jones seems extremely motivated to bounce back from a 7-10 season in 2024. It's hard to imagine Parsons and Sweat fitting on the same team. Sweat carries cap hits of about $25.1 million each of the next three seasons, and Spotrac projects a potential Parsons' extension to come in at $151 million over four years. Jones insists Dallas fans 'shouldn't lose any sleep' over negotiations with Parsons, who last week requested a trade. But interested teams are certainly doing their due diligence with only three weeks left before season openers. Booker's showing in the exhibition opener seemingly strengthened the Bears' hand of cards, should Poles get a chance to try to upgrade his defensive line.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Austin Booker was a 'menace' with his sack hat trick
Chicago Bears second-year defensive end Austin Booker had himself a nice day against the Miami Dolphins with six total tackles, three tackles for loss, three sacks, four QB hits, and a forced fumble. In four games during his 2024 preseason, he totaled nine tackles, 2.5 sacks, two TFLs, and 4 QB hits, so it was a nice showcase of his improvement to the new coaching staff. 'I think he was a factor the entire game,' head coach Ben Johnson said about Booker in his post-game press conference. He added by calling Booker a 'menace' after his big preseason week one performance. Booker flashed with his hustle and athleticism as a rookie, so with a wider variety of moves and a more cohesive pass rush plan, Booker will be ready for a bigger role in 2025. His first sack came in the second quarter off a Miami play action. He came down the line keeping the play in front of him, then beat tight end Pharaoh Brown, who came over to pick up the backside protection. On sack number two, Booker used a quick spin move to the inside gap to beat former Bear Germain Ifedi, who was lined up at left tackle. His third sack was the most impressive as it not only featured a forced fumble, which Chicago's Power Echols recovered, but he also bullied Miami's left tackle, Kion Smith. The Bears traded into the fifth round of the 2024 NFL Draft to take Booker, who was a redshirt sophomore, and he was the youngest player on the team as a rookie. He doesn't turn 23 until December, making him the fifth youngest player on the 2025 team, so there's plenty of good football in front of him.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
WATCH: Bears' Austin Booker's strip sack leads to Case Keenum TD vs. Dolphins
Chicago Bears defensive end Austin Booker has been a one-man wrecking crew against the Miami Dolphins and made his biggest play of the day at the perfect time. Through three quarters, Booker has totaled three sacks and three tackles for loss against the Dolphins' offensive line. His biggest one came against rookie Quinn Ewers when the quarterback tried to scramble out of the pocket on a third down. Booker chased Ewers down and popped the ball out, which was recovered by linebacker Power Echols inside the five-yard line. The turnover gave the Bears offense a golden opportunity to add points, which they did a few plays later. Quarterback Case Keenum found running back Deion Hankins, who leaked out of the backfield, at the goal line and delivered a strike for the touchdown. The score put the Bears in the lead for the first time all game. While the Bears took the lead on the touchdown, it wouldn't last long. Miami drove down the field and went back up on top thanks to an Ollie Gordon touchdown dive. The Bears trail the Dolphins 21-17. This article originally appeared on Bears Wire: Bears' Austin Booker's strip sack leads to Case Keenum TD vs. Dolphins
