The Chicago Bears rose to the top of the NFC North in the first year of the Ben Johnson era. While Chicago made it past the Green Bay Packers during its postseason run, the Bears fell short of reaching the Super Bowl. Despite that, they're still the team to beat in the division until proven otherwise.
That's why, even though he's not a superstar, watching Neville Gallimore take his talents to the Windy City on such a cheap deal was a big blow to Matt LaFleur's team. He's going to help solve their issues in the front seven. Add Coby Bryant's addition to their secondary, and the rest of the division might be in trouble.
Neville Gallimore's Signing is a Sneaky Great Move for the Bears
The Bears didn't have much to brag about at defensive tackle. Grady Jarrett failed to live up to the hype and isn't getting any younger, and Gervon Dexter Sr. didn't do much to anchor the interior of the defensive line. Gallimore isn't a superstar, but he's an outstanding pass rusher at the position. Pro Football Focus gave him a 70.2 pass-rush grade, which ranked 31st among all eligible defensive linemen, and he had 17 pressures and ten hurries despite playing just 259 pass-rush snaps.
The Bears gave Gallimore a two-year, $10 million deal, which, looking at the numbers, might be a bit of a bargain, even at his position. He played 17 games last season, making eight starts and logging 38 tackles (18 solo) to go along with four tackles for loss, six QB hits, 3.5 sacks, and three passes defensed.
The Packers are, of course, all set at the position, and they also made a solid addition when they signed former Minnesota Vikings DL Javon Hargrave. However, watching the Bears also get a starting-caliber guy at half the price was a gut punch for Green Bay.
Jordan Love has fared nicely against the Bears. Per Stat Muse, he has completed 69 percent of his passes for 1,202 yards, 9 touchdowns, just 2 interceptions, and a passer rating of 116.6 in six career games against Chicago. While it remains to be seen, there are no guarantees that Love will enjoy that same success against an improved front seven.
The Bears gave up the fifth-most total yards per game last season (373.8). Big plays were their Achilles heel, and strengthening the trenches will prevent opposing quarterbacks from having that much time and such a clean pocket to throw from. Gallimore may not move the needle that much on his own, but he's a solid contributor who does the little things to help a team win.
For those reasons alone, the Packers have to wish he were part of their DL rotation rather than an opponent.