One curiosity that has persisted for almost two weeks now is what the Chicago Bears plan to do about the loss of Eddie Goldman. The big nose tackle chose to opt out of playing in 2020. This due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. While unfortunate, it wasn't a huge surprise given his prior health history. Not to mention how the virus tends to impact bigger athletes.
Still, the loss is huge. Goldman was a central part of the Bears' run defense which has ranked among the best in the NFL the past two years. Replacing him will be a major challenge. Yet the team hasn't made any move to find help. No signings at defensive tackle since that announcement. Not even after Goldman's primary backup John Jenkins went on the reserve/COVID-19 list.
Are they just in denial about all this? Not entirely. From the way GM Ryan Pace and the coaches have talked, they feel the talent and depth of their defensive line are good enough to handle the loss. In fact, according to Adam Jahns of The Athletic, the team might be considering a slight position switch for one of their promising youngsters.
"Defensive line coach Jeff Rodgers indicated that it will be a joint effort after Goldman opted out of the season because of COVID-19. Bilal Nichols, a starter at end, has been trained at nose tackle, as have Abdullah Anderson and John Jenkins."
Bilal Nichols has the traits to fill in for Eddie Goldman
That is a name people haven't really talked about this offseason. Bilal Nichols was a major surprise in 2018, flashing all sorts of potential as both a run defender and interior pass rusher. Then last season he never seemed to get going. Part of that was due to suffering a broken hand early in the season. An injury he was forced to play with. That makes it hard for a lineman to function properly.
He is healthy now and showed up to training camp in shape. At 23-years old he's still scratching the surface of the talent he showed two years ago. The power to stand his ground against the run is definitely there. At 6'4, 313 lbs he also has enough size to handle those duties. It comes down to whether the Bears can get him comfortable playing in the middle rather than his usual spot at end.
