Bilal Nichols; Akiem Hicks Heir Apparent?

[soulman]

Bilal Nichols Looking Like a Future Line Leader

Originally posted on FanNation Bear Digest
By Gene Chamberlain  |  Last updated 8/1/21

https://www.yardbarker.com/nfl/articles/bilal_nichols_looking_like_a_future_line_leader/s1_16634_35518229?utm_source=mb&utm_medium=email&mb_edition=20210802&mb_loc=right_h

 

Considering the lofty goals defensive end Bilal Nichols owns for this season, the Bears can look to raid the vault for him before next season.

"All-Pro, simply," Nichols said. "All-Pro and winning the Super Bowl. That's just how I feel. That's the type of the standard I hold myself to each and every day.

"I'm just trying to get better every day and reach that ultimate level. If I can reach that level, then that can help our team tremendously. That's all I'm focused on right now."

Nichols says it's not the cash he's focused on as he enters the final year of his rookie contract. With some players it would be easy to wink, laugh and look the other way.

With Nichols, it's been obvious he's about more since arriving in Chicago in 2018. He doesn't have high draft pedigree. He came in as one of GM Ryan Pace's fifth-round success stories. It's also where Pace found Darnell Mooney, Adrian Amos and Jordan Howard.

"I've really seen him develop," said guard Cody Whitehair, who gets to face Nichols plenty in training camp. "One thing that is different when you come into this league is in the offseasons it's all your time; you can spend it how you want it. And you can tell Bilal works really hard. He focuses on the lifting and studying and learning how to be a pro, and that's what he is: He's a pro.

"He takes the game seriously, he takes care of his body, and you can see that on film. He's quicker, he's stronger and he's faster. That's going to help him on the field on Sundays as well."

 

The Bears have brought in undrafted of free agent defensive linemen in the past and trained them up under former defensive line coach Jay Rodgers to succeed. Then they lose those players because they're basically role players to Akiem Hicks and Eddie Goldman up front.

They can't pay everyone, but in Nichols' case the talent could force a change either in the way the Bears approach their pay structure on defense or in the personnel up front. That's because Hicks would need a contract extension at the same time as Nichols, but Hicks will be 32 next year. Would they pay both?

 

 

Nichols made this all possible because he had the proverbial breakthrough late last season when he was finally over some nagging injuries and could focus on playing the way he had at the end of his rookie year.

"I'm just playing this year," Nichols said. "Who know what the future holds? I'm living right now in the present. I can't really speak too much on the future.

"I just know right now, every day I have to continue to get better to give our team a better shot at winning the Super Bowl."

Nichols showed his value by playing both defensive end and the nose last year. He's obviously a better end but was adequate at nose. Now with Goldman back, he can focus where he's strongest. And focus is what he's all about, even with the possibility of a big pay day finally ahead for him. He had seven of his 13 career tackles for loss last year and made four of his five sacks on the 2021 season in the second half of the year

"It's all about focus, really," Nichols said. "Obviously, I'd be lying to you if I said I don't think about it or that it's something that's easy not to think about because you work your whole life to get up to this point.

 

"It's just about staying focused. At the end of the day, I feel like if you are thinking about things in the future, you are messing up for yourself in the present. I try not to get caught up in all that. My time is going to come. I put the work in and I'm going to continue to put the work in. I'm going to let the work speak for itself. The work has gotten me this far. We are going to keep working."

This video is a hoot.

 

This article first appeared on Bear Digest and was syndicated with permission.

Edited August 2, 2021 by soulman

[blkwdw13]

The other video like that about which ice cream they prefer was good also. 

[Sugashane]

I feel like he is a penetrating guy who has the strength to two-gap, kind of like what they did with Bullard. If you get him attacking he is at his best.

 

Hicks is just a freak athlete for that size. He's a freaking bull. I hope Nichols takes the leads when Hicks is done here but it'll probably have to be a different scheme for him to really stand out.

[JAF-N72EX]

11 hours ago, soulman said:

Considering the lofty goals defensive end Bilal Nichols owns for this season, the Bears can look to raid the vault for him before next season.

Trading Nichols would be a terrible mistake. He may not be a top player but he's proven that he's; consistent, has a nastiness to him, and can be effective at every position on the line. These combined traits are hard to find with IDLs and he doesn't even turn 25 for another month from now.

You don't let a player like him walk and expect to easily replace him. He should be part of the long goal. Especially when we could very well be in a position where we have to start reloading the defense next season.

As Suga said, I'm hoping he can replace Hicks next season. We'll see where Goldman is at this year but if both can step up then I would be perfectly fine with Goldman in the 0/1 with Nichols beside him in the 1/2 for the next few years.

32 minutes ago, Sugashane said:

 it'll probably have to be a different scheme for him to really stand out.

Yeah. We can't expect him to be a multi-allpro in this scheme. He's nice but there's level to this and there's just too many moving parts (and bigger names) on this defense for him to really standout here.

[Sugashane]

2 hours ago, JAF-N72EX said:

Yeah. We can't expect him to be a multi-allpro in this scheme. He's nice but there's level to this and there's just too many moving parts (and bigger names) on this defense for him to really standout here.

The good thing is that we spend a lot of time in nickel, where he can play anywhere on the DL (prefer interior but we can fit talent and plug him anywhere at least). With Fields we should HOPEFULLY get to be in the lead more often. That will allow him to shine.

[JAF-N72EX]

1 hour ago, Sugashane said:

The good thing is that we spend a lot of time in nickel, where he can play anywhere on the DL (prefer interior but we can fit talent and plug him anywhere at least). With Fields we should HOPEFULLY get to be in the lead more often. That will allow him to shine.

I would love more opportunities to have Nichols, Mack, Roquan, Eddie,, Hicks, and Goldman with their ears pinned backed on more forced pass plays.

 

[dll2000]

11 hours ago, Sugashane said:

I feel like he is a penetrating guy who has the strength to two-gap, kind of like what they did with Bullard. If you get him attacking he is at his best.

 

Hicks is just a freak athlete for that size. He's a freaking bull. I hope Nichols takes the leads when Hicks is done here but it'll probably have to be a different scheme for him to really stand out.

I think had Goldman played last year Nichols would be much more highly thought of.  

He is not a zero or 1 and played out of position most of last year.

He is not a super star, but he is an above average capable starter at 3 or 5 or 0-1 long yardage downs.  

[abstract_thought]

He's not the same player as Hicks, but he can be impactful. IMO he's more of a penetrating force and a bit less of an out-and-out game-wrecker. Hicks takes on multiple guys and can still win with strength and power. Nichols is disruptive but not quite as dominant.

[soulman]

I doubt they'll ever let Nichols see FA.  Nagy seems to have adopted him as one of his own because they both played at Deleware.

Having a DL like Nichols who can be moved around should work much better for Desai and his schemes if he's in any way inherited Fangio's "evil genius" mentality.  If Hicks begins to falter as a pass rusher Desai can move him into Hicks spot with Edwards playing opposite him as a 3 tech DT and Quinn playing as more of a 4-3 DE on the right side and Mack using whatever route he likes to rush the QB as a stand up DE/OLB.

Or Desai uses Fangio's five man pass rush with the base 3-4 interior DL and Quinn and Mack coming as OLBs.  Imagine two OGs and the OC trying to handle those three one on one.  I don't know how you can keep all of those guys from getting in and doing some damage.  Pace had no choice but to let RRH hit FA but I don't see him doing it with Nichols.  Kind of curious how Blackson is gonna work out.