The Chicago Bears have made notable changes to their defensive lineup with two recent trades. On Saturday, the Bears acquired defensive tackle Chris Williams and a 2025 seventh-round pick from the Cleveland Browns in exchange for a sixth-round pick.
This move follows a trade the previous day with the Seattle Seahawks, in which the Bears sent a sixth-round pick to acquire Darrell Taylor. These transactions highlight the Bears’ proactive approach to addressing concerns about their defensive line depth.
Chris Williams, who is 26 years old, began his career with the Indianapolis Colts, where Bears’ coach Matt Eberflus was the defensive coordinator. Williams has since been on practice squads with the Kansas City Chiefs and Cleveland Browns, but his previous performance with the Colts, where he recorded six tackles in 13 games, impressed Eberflus. Williams expressed confidence in fitting into Eberflus’ defensive scheme, which emphasizes a fast and aggressive style of play.
Despite being listed as a fifth-string defensive tackle on Cleveland’s depth chart, Williams had a strong performance in his final preseason game, recording two sacks, one of which led to a safety.
The Bears’ trade also involved sending a seventh-round pick to the Browns, which was originally acquired from the Miami Dolphins in the deal for wide receiver Chase Claypool. With this trade, the Bears now have a total of seven draft picks for the 2025 NFL Draft.
In addition to acquiring Williams, the Bears’ trade for Darrell Taylor has been a topic of discussion. Eberflus highlighted Taylor’s distinct rushing skills and high motor as valuable assets to the team.
Taylor, who had a solid 2023 season with the Seahawks, is expected to bring versatility and competition to the defensive line. Eberflus noted that Taylor would need some refinement but praised his effort and performance.
The Bears’ strategy to find an edge rusher was also briefly mentioned. Initially, the team pursued Matthew Judon of the New England Patriots, but negotiations fell through over contract extension terms, leading Judon to the Atlanta Falcons.
Eberflus indicated that the Bears would continue to rotate their edge rushers, including Taylor, and make decisions based on performance and competition among the defensive linemen.
