Bears are signing DT Neville Gallimore

2 year 12 mil deal per sources.

He replaces Billings, has more speed. 

Jarrett, Dexter, and Gallimore is a nice start if they add 1 or 2 through draft. 

 

Yup, big signings or not, we always also sign mid tier free agents to fill holes so we dont get screwed if the draft doesnt go well for us, and we have to reach for positions. You avoid that by having someone you can put there if necessary. Then you draft rookies close to BPA, and some will play behind and eventually overtake those vets we signed for $6M/yr or less.

Some years you make a big splash with a big name player, and some you dont, but either way you always fill holes before the draft.

OK so we have signed

S Coby Bryant at $40M/3yr (thats a starter $13.3M/yr)
DT Neville Gallimore at $12M/2yr (thats a rotational player and hole filler $6M/yr)
LB Devin Bush $30M/3yr (thats a starter $10M/yr)
LB Demarco Jackson $10M/2yr (backup or LB3 on running downs, pushing for LB2 $5M/yr)
DE James Hardy $6M/2yr (special teams player $3M/yr)

Great Hole filling, and we have new starters at S and LB.

And maybe I'm wrong, maybe Gallimore will start at NT. His salary says less though.

Certainly is getting started on an upgrade on the Defense. Bryant and Bush are both upgrades.

I think I predicted as many as 5 new starters on defense this year. There's 2 already. I feel like they will go after the defense like they did the OL last year.
 

Like you said, they have upgraded the NT spot over Billings. Spent decent money on a good LB and Bryant was their big contract.

This is making a better picture for where we might be drafting in the early rounds. DE and LT appears to be on the table. A 3 tech DT and S will be high. With Bush I think LB falls down the draft order. If RB is BPA, you think we may add there?

I dont even think Bryant is that big of a splash. These are all good solid signings, and obvious upgrades over last year.

Also, it speaks to our weakness stopping the run. We signed DT, LB and S - improving at all three levels right up the middle.

Id LOVE to see a proven pass rusher, but they are not necessarily in reach now. But the people we have signed will definitely give DA pieces to cook with. And I suspect we spend a lot of draft capital on the defense as well. We might see a DE in the $15M range, but I think the chances of a Trey Hendrickson are no sure thing.

But is it possible one of our first three picks goes to WR or RB? sure it is, if they are believed to be dominant players by our staff.

Also, we havent really fixed the LT spot yet. What we do in free agency might affect our draft needs, or not, depending on who we sign.

Looks like he will be backup 3T

Makes sense with a few good NT in rounds 1 and 2. 

6'2" 304 draft size

Scouting report from Walterfootball.com 

Neville Gallimore Scouting Report
By Charlie Campbell
   

Strengths:

• Dangerous interior pass-rusher
• Quick off the ball
• Twitchy
• Athletic
• Able to penetrate the backfield consistently
• Natural three-technique
• Good pursuit defender
• Agile
• Good leverage to get underneath guarr
• Weaknesses:
• Gets tied up by length and mass


• Could have issues defending downhill runs coming straight at him
• Doesn’t have the length to be a 3-4 end
• Doesn’t have the size to be a nose tackle in 3-4 or 4-3
• Limited to three-technique only
• Short arms – 32.88 inches



 
•  

Gallimore is taking Billings spot who clearly lost a step or two and some strength. 

He will get Billings snaps. They will draft a DT to put Jarrett as the rotational player. 

Billings was a NT tho, and everything I read earlier said that Gallimore was a NT too? If he's a 3T thats really good news, it's just new to me.

Also, I'll take this moment to remember another Bear named Gallimore, Willie Gallimore who is an underrated HB for us who was really really good, and also the reason why my icon is a jersey with the number 28 - that was Gallimore's

This was back when we all had jerseys with numbers if you remember the old board. A lot of us have been here a LONG time

Billings played NT, he's getting his snaps. For now depending on who they draft Jarrett is 3 t but where does Dexter go? The high rated DTs are all NTs, McDonald, Banks. Did I get that right?

I seen that the Bears ran a lot of wide front, so not much of a need for a NT but 2 - 3Ts. 

Looking at Allen's DTs in his best Saints years, they averaged 6'2" 310#, everyone of them were in that range.  So if this is his philosophy, then Jarrett 6'1 295, Gallimore 6'2 305, Sherman Turner 6-3 293 if a dt  are in that range.  Dexter is a little longer  and heavier, 6'6 325.  

I might change who the Bears target with tonight's digging. 

On 3/10/2026 at 9:29 AM, ASHKUM BEAR said:

I seen that the Bears ran a lot of wide front, so not much of a need for a NT but 2 - 3Ts. 

Looking at Allen's DTs in his best Saints years, they averaged 6'2" 310#, everyone of them were in that range.  So if this is his philosophy, then Jarrett 6'1 295, Gallimore 6'2 305, Sherman Turner 6-3 293 if a dt  are in that range.  Dexter is a little longer  and heavier, 6'6 325.  

I might change who the Bears target with tonight's digging. 

That makes sense and also Dayo at 6'5" 282 fits that mold.

8 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

That makes sense and also Dayo at 6'5" 282 fits that mold.

Dayo fits his DE mold. DTs are lighter and shorter. I only looked at 5 years of his Saints rosters. You'd think he'd have a bigger N, but none during those 5 yrs. 

1 hour ago, ASHKUM BEAR said:

Dayo fits his DE mold. DTs are lighter and shorter. I only looked at 5 years of his Saints rosters. You'd think he'd have a bigger N, but none during those 5 yrs. 

Ya I saw where someone did a breakdown of DA DEs and 6'5" 270 with 34" arms is the normal. I have read where pundits think Dayo is better at rushing the passer inside. I really don't remember paying attention to him when he was on the field. 

I think in an ideal world Booker is the rush specialist with another starter opposite Sweat. Dayo getting him snaps where he can. By Dayo size, I think DA had a lot with bringing him in here as was in his division.

16 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

Ya I saw where someone did a breakdown of DA DEs and 6'5" 270 with 34" arms is the normal. I have read where pundits think Dayo is better at rushing the passer inside. I really don't remember paying attention to him when he was on the field. 

I think in an ideal world Booker is the rush specialist with another starter opposite Sweat. Dayo getting him snaps where he can. By Dayo size, I think DA had a lot with bringing him in here as was in his division.

IMO his only Inside pass rush benefit was on stunts.  Achilles injuries are notoriously difficult to recover from we should just write him off as a contributor this year.  We’ll need his cap space for other players in 2027.  

22 minutes ago, AZ54 said:

IMO his only Inside pass rush benefit was on stunts.  Achilles injuries are notoriously difficult to recover from we should just write him off as a contributor this year.  We’ll need his cap space for other players in 2027.  

His contract doesn't allow him to be let go this year. It would be nice if they could do an injury settlement . We'll have to see if he makes it back on the field.

8 minutes ago, Stinger226 said:

His contract doesn't allow him to be let go this year. It would be nice if they could do an injury settlement . We'll have to see if he makes it back on the field.

Unfortunately they spent 40M of cap space on him and Jarret. Jarret is good leader but that is not 40M of production. That said they can be creative with cap to fund now or in a year you can significantly upgrade with a difference maker (if one doesn’t become available sooner). 

On 3/11/2026 at 1:40 PM, DABEARSDABOMB said:

Unfortunately they spent 40M of cap space on him and Jarret. Jarret is good leader but that is not 40M of production. That said they can be creative with cap to fund now or in a year you can significantly upgrade with a difference maker (if one doesn’t become available sooner). 

Agree with both of those comments. I think maybe in a rotational situation, they both contribute more in their second year. Gallimore could be a sneaky good move, in limited snaps he had 4 sacks and 17 pressures, 3 batted passes and 33 Ts.