Part of winning free agency isn’t by spending the most money. Ryan Poles understands this. It’s about getting the best possible value per dollar spent. That means if you can find a quality player for cheap, then you’ve won. A perfect example is Ryan Pace securing Akiem Hicks for $5 million per year in 2016. That proved to be an outright theft. While everybody is focused on the major acquisitions like Tremaine Edmunds and Nate Davis, some wonder if the Chicago Bears managed any potential steals with their minor signings.
Former defensive back Matt Bowen of ESPN thinks so. He was asked to pinpoint the best bargain addition of every team in the league. His choice was a surprising one.
“DT Andrew Billings to the Chicago Bears. A proven, veteran run defender, Billings will play the nose guard spot in coach Matt Eberflus’ system. And the Bears land a starter at a key spot on a cheap, one-year deal.”
Billings doesn’t get much attention from casual fans because he’s not a pass rusher. He has 4.5 sacks in five seasons. However, his capability as a run defender is undeniable. For an idea of his impact, the Cleveland Browns had the 12th-ranked run defense in football in 2021 with him in the lineup. After he left in 2022, it dropped to 25th. The Bears ranked 31st last season. This signing was a no-brainer.
The Chicago Bears run defense should be much better.
Having Billings in the middle is a critical piece. Yet it’s also the arrivals of Edmunds and T.J. Edwards at linebacker that should make the Bears a tough team to run against. DeMarcus Walker is no slouch himself. While he had a career-high seven sacks in 2022, he remains a sturdy run defender as well. This defensive front seven has gotten a lot bigger and stronger. If they can finally slow down opposing run games, it will open up opportunities to get off the field on third down more efficiently.
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The key is adding more juice to their pass rush. It’s lacking right now. Odds are Poles will add at least two more pieces in the next five weeks. If the right decisions are made, this front four can be much better than last season. It wouldn’t hurt if a young project like Dominique Robinson also took a big step forward in his development. Either way, Billings makes the Chicago Bears a better team. Getting him for $3.5 million this year is stealing.
