4 free agents Chicago Bears should re-sign
1. Bilal Nichols Chicago Bears defensive lineman
Bilal Nichols is your typical Ryan Pace gem. The small school player was drafted in the fourth or fifth round and turns into a quality player. For the flaws that Ryan Pace had, he could scout the small schools, and he could scout defensive line talent.
He did get the best years out of Akiem Hicks when other teams did not. One of his last finds was Bilal Nichols. Nichols was quiet in 2021, but may actually be better in the 4-3 scheme that Matt Eberflus is going to bring.
Fans see him as a nose tackle type but could be surprised that he can get upfield more often when called up. We highlighted a potential fair contract for him here. If Nichols thinks he is a high-end free agent and does not want to stick around, then that is on him.
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However, the new regime should try to get him back and keep as many good picks that Pace made, while clearing out the bad ones. Nichols is a player that looks like the best years are ahead of him, and hopefully, that means that they will be coming with the Chicago Bears next to Khail Mack and Robert Quinn.