The Chicago Bears have hinted all week that they were searching for defensive line help. Yesterday they got their edge rusher, trading a 6th round pick to Seattle for Darrell Taylor. Today, they secured defensive tackle help, flipping a 6th round pick to the Cleveland Browns for veteran Chris Williams and a 7th round pick. The move makes plenty of sense. He’s had a good preseason, producing two sacks and two QB hits in two preseason games. He also spent his rookie season in 2021 under Matt Eberflus, so there is familiarity from the Bears’ side. There is no question he helps them in a tough spot.
Williams was an undrafted free agent out of Wagner in 2020. He didn’t get any buzz due to playing at a struggling program. Still, he brought a 300-lb frame with 34-inch arms and a high motor. That translated into a strong rookie preseason with the Colts, allowing him to crack the main roster. He appeared in eight games, made six tackles, and had one quarterback pressure. A year later, he showed improvement with two pressures in five appearances. Sadly, he didn’t return in 2023, spending the summer with the Kansas City Chiefs before getting released in August.
He proved again in Cleveland that he is a high-effort player who doesn’t lower the intensity on any snaps. He’ll give them some help in the pass rush rotation and isn’t an outright liability against the run, either. His familiarity with Eberflus’ defensive system is an added bonus. It won’t take long to get him up to speed. It was clear the Browns, who have a quality defensive staff, were getting big results from the 26-year-old. Defensive coordinator Eric Washington, who has a reputation of his own with defensive tackle, should be able to take it from here. The Chicago Bears still have seven picks in the draft next year. This trade was essentially a pick swap, landing Williams in exchange for moving down from the 6th round to the 7th. If he gives them any production this season, it will have been worth it.
