Bears Blitz

Mario Williams Rumors: Bears Must Land Williams to Slow Down NFC North QBs

Published by Tim Daniels on March 13, 2012
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

The Chicago Bears must ramp up their pursuit of Mario Williams once free agency opens. If the Bears are going to remain competitive in the NFC North, they need an elite pass-rusher like the former Houston Texans star to slow down Aaron Rodgers and Matthew Stafford.

Chicago racked up 33 sacks last season. Just three of those came against Stafford; Rodgers only felt the wrath twice. So, it shouldn’t be a surprise John Mullin of CSN Chicago is reporting the Bears are interested in Williams.

The Bears will go into the hours leading to the start of free agency considered around the league to be the favorite in the competition to sign defensive end Mario Williams away from the Houston Texans, CSNChicago.com has learned from a number of NFL sources.

Being the favorite is nice, but it doesn’t mean anything unless a deal gets finalized. The Bears need to put a full-court press on Williams to make sure another team doesn’t steal him away at the last minute. That’s been known to happen quite frequently with free agents.

Pairing Williams with Julius Peppers would give Chicago the most fearsome pass-rushing duo in the NFL. That’s the type of combo quarterbacks have nightmares about on Saturday night, and the Bears would benefit greatly from the mental edge alone.

Their presence would also have a trickle-down effect throughout the entire defense. By getting to the quarterback quicker and more often, the secondary wouldn’t have to defend for nearly as long. It will allow them to get exposed far less.

The Bears were on the cusp of a playoff run last season before injuries to Jay Cutler and Matt Forte decimated the offense. Both guys are expected to return at full strength, which would leave Chicago’s offense in good shape.

Adding Williams to the defensive mix would make the Bears one of next season’s best sleeper picks. That’s mainly because he would allow Chicago to attack Rodgers and Stafford with a lot more force.

The team went 1-3 against those two quarterbacks, making it clear something needed to be changed.

Going after the top defender of the free-agent class would certainly send a statement to Green Bay and Detroit that the NFC North is going to be a three-team race.

The Bears can’t afford to let Williams slip away, because the drop off to the next-best rusher is significant. Their front office has to use every trick in the book to convince him to join the team.

Otherwise they’ll be locked into third place for another season, and the diehard fans in Chicago aren’t interested in another middling year.