The Bears aren’t finished enhancing their defensive line. Just a day after acquiring edge rusher Darrell Taylor from the Seahawks, they turned to the AFC North for additional reinforcements.
Cleveland is sending defensive tackle Chris Williams to Chicago, according to The Athletic’s Adam Jahns, a report that the team later confirmed. This is a pick-swap deal, with the Bears receiving Williams and a 2025 seventh-round pick while the Browns get a sixth-rounder.
Late August has become a prime time for trades as teams finalize their 53-man rosters, and the Bears are using this opportunity to reunite Williams with head coach Matt Eberflus. Williams, who originally signed with the Colts as an undrafted free agent in 2020 during Eberflus’ tenure as defensive coordinator, should bring some scheme familiarity to the team. Williams, who played in 13 games as a backup with the Colts from 2021-22, is a practice-squad veteran.
This marks the fifth trade the Bears have made involving veteran players this offseason. They’ve brought in Ryan Bates from the Bills, Keenan Allen from the Chargers, sent Justin Fields to the Steelers, traded for Taylor, and now added Williams to bolster the defensive tackle position. Although Williams didn’t see regular-season action in 2023 and has logged just 107 career defensive snaps, the Bears’ move suggests they wanted to secure a player familiar with Eberflus’ system ahead of the waiver process.
Williams, 26, had signed a reserve/futures contract with the Browns in January but was likely to be cut again by an AFC team. After failing to make the Chiefs’ 53-man roster in 2023, he spent the latter part of the season on the Browns’ practice squad.
In Chicago, Williams will join a defensive tackle group that includes 2023 Day 2 picks Gervon Dexter and Zacch Pickens, as well as veteran Andrew Billings. The Bears didn’t draft a defensive tackle this year, opting instead to trade back into the draft for defensive end Austin Booker. Williams is expected to serve as a depth piece, highlighting the Bears’ dissatisfaction with their D-line as the preseason wraps up.
