The attempt to acquire Matthew Judon last month clearly indicated the Chicago Bears were in the market for defensive line help. A few days later, GM Ryan Poles found his solution when he sent a 6th round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for veteran edge rusher Darrell Taylor. Most felt the team was done making moves at that point. Poles, per usual, managed to surprise them. Chicago struck again shortly after, sending another 6th round pick to the Cleveland Browns for defensive tackle Chris Williams.
Fans were surprised by why the team targeted him when they could probably get somebody on the waiver wire at the end of August. Others inside the NFL were a bit shocked the Browns dealt him at all. Williams had a great preseason for Cleveland, racking up four pressures and two sacks in only 21 pass rush reps. Keeping him seemed to make sense, but it appears they preferred more experienced veterans Maurice Hurst and Quinton Jefferson instead. One league scout told Dan Pompei of The Athletic that Chicago may have gotten away with a minor robbery.
Scout B liked the August trade for defensive tackle Chris Williams. “He fits what they do,” he says. “He gets off the ball, is a one-gap penetrator and has a high motor. Offenses will have to account for him.”
More specifically, he has prior experience working with head coach Matt Eberflus. They spent three years together in Indianapolis. He showed flashes of potential in 2021 and 2022, even managing three QB pressures in 57 regular season snaps. Unfortunately, he never quite got over the hump. He spent last summer in Kansas City before signing with Cleveland in December. It appears Eberflus is interested in seeing if Williams did any further growing during their time apart.
Based on the flashes he had last month, the answer is yes. The former Wagner product always had upside. He’s 300 lbs with 34-inch arms and a 1.75-second 10-yard split. That means he has good burst. Combine that with his notorious hot motor, and you have somebody who could contribute a lot more than people expect. The Chicago Bears aren’t deep at defensive tackle, which should mean more opportunities.
