A week after bidding to make a splash addition to the defensive front with an attempted trade for Matthew Judon, the Chicago Bears pivoted to two smaller moves they hope will provide needed depth.
How the team will generate a pass rush opposite Montez Sweat has been a storyline since before the draft, and focus on that question has overshadowed depth concerns on the interior.
In less than 24 hours general manager Ryan Poles traded a sixth-round pick to the Seattle Seahawks for defensive end Darrell Taylor on Friday and then dealt a sixth-rounder (originally belonging to the Miami Dolphins) to the Cleveland Browns for defensive tackle Chris Williams and a seventh-round pick.
It was a flurry of movement ahead of Tuesday’s 3 p.m. deadline to form an initial 53-man roster because the Bears know they have some issues on a defense that was No. 1 in the NFL at stopping the run in 2023 but deficient at rushing the passer — even after they acquired Sweat.
The Bears couldn’t get assurances of how things would play out for Judon in the final year of his contract, and the Patriots wound up sending him to the Atlanta Falcons. Now they have a small D-line makeover before roster decisions must be finalized and the waiver wire cranks up with the possibility the team will make another move or two.
Taylor, 6-foot-4, 255 pounds, was deemed not to be a perfect fit for the Seahawks under new coach Mike Macdonald, so he was available. Taylor gives the Bears more flexibility to move defensive end DeMarcus Walker inside in sub packages, and the addition of Williams provides needed depth on the interior with Zacch Pickens currently sidelined because of a groin injury. Coach Matt Eberflus wasn’t certain on a timeline for Pickens but doesn’t believe it’s a long-term issue.
“We don’t bring guys in here that don’t like to play hard,” Eberflus said. “So it’s important that we watch the tape and we have guys that have our DNA to start and then we can take them to the next level once we get here.”
Instead of re-signing free agent Yannick Ngakoue, who is seeking to extend his career, the Bears get a motivated player in Taylor entering a contract year trying to enhance his bargaining position come March. Although he was a second-round pick out of Tennessee in 2020, the Seahawks were able to extend him for this season at the restricted free-agent level of $3.136 million because he did not earn an accrued season as a rookie when he missed the entire year with a leg injury. In other words, he will be a year late reaching free agency.
Chicago Bears roster tracker: Cuts have begun at Halas Hall in advance of Tuesday’s 53-man deadline
Taylor joins a unit that was improved in the second half of last season and can line up opposite Sweat, who ought to draw extra attention from opposing offenses. That could put Taylor on a path to a steady diet of one-on-one rushing opportunities. He seemed giddy about the prospect of switching from an outside linebacker in a 3-4 scheme to an end in a 4-3.
“I didn’t know that much but I know we’re a 4-3 defense,” Taylor said. “And I’m excited to be moving forward, like going straight (ahead) all the time. … Get to put my hands on guys and stuff like that.”
In Taylor, the Bears acquired a player who had 21½ sacks over the last three seasons — compared with 23½ sacks by Ngakoue in the same span — and is younger and likely cheaper than Ngakoue, who earned $10.5 million last year and is coming off a season-ending ankle injury.
How Taylor’s addition affects decisions before the Tuesday roster deadline remains to be seen. It’s possible the Bears will keep five defensive ends, and Sweat, Walker, Taylor and Austin Booker are virtual locks. While Daniel Hardy led the defense with 3½ sacks in preseason, the team will probably keep the bigger Dominique Robinson. Hardy is sort of repetitive when you look at skill sets and compare him to Taylor and Booker, and the team cut Terrell Lewis, who led them in sacks in preseason last summer, a day after the initial trim to 53.
Dealing two sixth-round picks for Taylor and Williams provides some needed rotational depth, especially when looking at the interior. Pickens is slotted as the third tackle behind Andrew Billings and Gervon Dexter. Last season, Dexter was the team’s third tackle and had 432 snaps. Pickens, whose availability for the Sept. 8 opener against the Tennessee Titans is in question, was the fourth option and he had 264 snaps.
With Taylor in the mix, the Bears won’t be overly reliant on Booker, a fifth-round rookie, to produce immediately and can allow him to develop without being rushed. He was impressive in preseason, but the degree of difficulty is going to ratchet up, and playing time will be earned. The better he performs, the more he will get.
Regarding Taylor, an AFC pro scouting director noted he has “some pass rush talent with speed at his get-off. Flashes on tape but will wear down and can struggle setting the edge.” He called Taylor an “arc rusher,” meaning he wins on the high side. Another scout said he has a tendency to get stuck on contact.
That’s what you get when you trade a sixth-round pick and pay $3 million. The Bears are betting they are going to get the best Taylor has to offer in what is a critical season for him personally.
Williams entered the league as an undrafted rookie out of Wagner in 2020. He appeared in 13 games for the Indianapolis Colts in 2021 and 2022 when Eberflus was defensive coordinator. He logged only 107 snaps but could be deemed a better fit than Byron Cowart, who was the fourth option on the roster.
Williams profiles as a three-technique but he’s undersized. The team listed him at 6-3, 302, and after Saturday’s practice Williams said he weighs 285. An AFC player personnel director described him as quick and disruptive and a good scheme fit for the Bears but said his lack of size can be an issue against the run. His quickness might make him a good match to plug into the role Pickens held in 2023.
The Browns were able to get some value for Williams after he had a good preseason with five tackles, two sacks and a forced fumble.
“It’s a whirlwind of emotions because you build relationships where you’re at, but you can’t turn down a great opportunity,” said Williams, who was on practice squads in Cleveland and Kansas City last year. “I was ecstatic, ready to go. I was honestly like, ‘Let’s get it,’ waiting for the text for when my flight was going to come here.”
The Bears have enough ends to play those players in waves, like Eberflus prefers, and keep them fresh. The team’s actions over the next four days will tell you how it feels about the setup at defensive tackle with the regular season two weeks away.
