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Courtney Cronin, ESPN Editor
LAKE FOREST, Ill. — The Chicago Bears get defensive Chris Williams and the 2025 seventh-round pick from Cleveland Browns Football Team in exchange for a sixth-round pick on Saturday.
Williams is the second defensive addition the Bears have brought in via trade in as many days. They sent a sixth pick arrive Seattle Seahawks Football Team on Friday for Darrell Taylor.
Bears coach Matt Eberflus expressed concerns about the team’s depth at defensive lineman after injury to reserve player Zach Pickens questioned the second-year player’s status in Week 1.
Williams, 26, spent the first two years of his career at Indianapoliswhere Eberflus was the defensive coordinator. Williams then spent time on practice teams in Kansas City and Cleveland. He played in 13 games with the Colts and had six tackles.
“I’ve been productive with him as well, and I’ve felt the growth every time, every year, when I’ve been with him,” Williams said. “I know his plan is to be aggressive and fast, and use my skill set. That’s definitely something I feel comfortable with in that plan.”
Williams is listed as the fifth-ranked defensive back on Cleveland’s depth chart and is considered a long shot to make the roster. In his final preseason game with the Browns, Williams had two tackles, including one that resulted in a safety.
The seventh-rounder that Chicago gave to Cleveland was originally acquired in a trade that brought in wide receiver Chasing Claypool arrive Miami Dolphins in October. The Bears now have seven draft picks in 2025: one first-round pick, two second-round picks (one from Carolina), Tuesday, Thursday, Friday (through Pittsburgh) and Saturday (via Cleveland).
Eberflus also mentioned the team trading Taylor, who he believes has skills that would give the Bears more flexibility on defense.
“I think he brings a different skill set than what we have out there in terms of how he rushes,” Eberflus said of Taylor. “The thing I like most about him is his motor. He has a great motor. He finishes. He needs to get a little better at the rush end, which we’ll work on, but he chases and does everything, everything that everyone else in the building does that we expect and what we hold guys accountable for.”
The Bears’ mission is to find an edge rusher to pair with the Pro Bowler. Montez Sweat was detailed in the latest episode of HBO’s “Hard Knocks.” Chicago had plans to send a third-round pick to New England Patriots in exchange for Matthew Judon but decided not to pursue it after being unable to agree on the parameters of a contract extension with the 32-year-old outside linebacker, who was eventually traded to Atlanta Falcons.
In 2023, Taylor appeared in all 17 games for Seattle and recorded five shutouts. He recorded 5.5 rebounds, seven sacks for loss, and eight quarterback hits while playing 44 percent of the team’s defensive snaps.
When asked if Taylor will get the most playing time against Sweat, Eberflus said the Bears will continue to swap out edge rushers with the starting defensive line.
“I think it’s going to be a rotation,” Eberflus said. “I really think so. We’re going to play to that strength. I feel really good about all the guys that are out there right now, you know, [Austin] Booker, Church [Robinson] And [DeMarcus Walker] and all the guys are playing with Tez on the side. So we’re gonna make it a competition and see who’s hot and let them rush in.”
ESPN’s Daniel Oyefusi contributed to this report.
