Ryan Poles has plenty of work left to do before it will feel like the Bears are on the upswing again, but re-signing one underrated member of the defense is a good enough start. Though the talk of extensions in Chicago has rightfully been centered around cornerback Jaylon Johnson and newly acquired defensive end Montez Sweat, Poles and the Bears took a step in the right direction in retaining defensive tackle Andrew Billings.

Billings will be staying in Chicago after Poles gave the veteran defensive tackle a two-year, $8.5 million extension, with $6 million guaranteed, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter. Though Billings is no household name, he's been a steady presence on the interior of the Bears defensive line this season.

One of the many, many, many areas that Chicago struggled last year was defending against the run. Ranked 27th in yards allowed per attempt in 2022, now the Bears, thanks to the offseason additions of Billings, as well as linebackers Tremaine Edmonds and TJ Edwards, have the best mark in the league, allowing opponents to rush for only 3.3 yards per attempt, which if it were to hold up, would be the best mark in the NFL since 2019.

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Billings is a big body in the middle, weighing in at 311 pounds. His numbers don't jump off the page, but our friends at PFF rate Billings 32nd in the NFL among all interior defensive linemen, ahead of more heralded players like Fletcher Cox, Leonard Williams, Jonathan Allen and Jeffery Simmons.

If the Bears can re-sign the recently acquired Montez Sweat, it's entirely possible that the defensive line could be a bonafide strength in Chicago for the next couple of seasons.