Bears swap defensive linemen with Jets

by Chris Bearman

Blogger, Chicago Tribune

You can't say coach/general manager Bob Winuvas isn't trying to fill holes in the roster. With Pernell McPhee, Derrick Morgan, and Jayson Dimanche on the roster, he had a surplus of good pass rushers. What he lacked was meat in the middle to pair up with Damon Harrison. So the coach went out and took a former teammate of Harrison's in Leonard Williams from the Jets, swapping Pernell McPhee in the process.

McPhee, 29, had 8 sacks to lead the team. The Bears' front office hopes that Derrick Morgan, moving back to his more natural defensive end position, can fill that void - along with a full year from Dimanche on the other side.

"We feel like this helps everywhere on the line. We get more athletic up front, we get meaner...I really like this front four we can throw out there now. I think they can hang with anyone in the GFML," Coach Winuvas said of his new starting four on the defensive line.

Williams, 24,enters the last year of his rookie deal. The coach feels confident he can sign Williams to a long-term offer.

"I think once we get Leonard (Williams) into the fold, get him communicating again with Damon (Harrison) and he gets our terminology down, he'll like what we are attempting to build. I think he's a missing piece and I feel good about us getting a deal worked out that will benefit both sides," Coach Winuvas said during the press conference.

The trade cannot be processed until the new league year starts.