Bears Blitz

Published by Matt Eurich on January 30, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears

Now that the Chicago Bears have a completely new coaching staff in place, the organization can start focusing on what schemes they want to run offensively and defensively and whom they can target in the 2015 NFL draft. 

John Fox was hired as head coach to lead the team, but a bigger emphasis this offseason will be placed on offensive coordinator Adam Gase and defensive coordinator Vic Fangio and what type of schemes they plan to run this upcoming season.

Team consultant and former New York Giants general manager Ernie Accorsi believes the Bears made solid hires with both Gase and Fangio.

“That’s an awful good start,” Accorsi said about the hirings on ESPN 1000’s Waddle and Silvy Show, via Michael C. Wright of ESPNChicago.com. “Gase, we interviewed Gase for a head coaching job, and he was impressive. Fangio has been mentioned as a head coach. Fangio is the one guy who drove us crazy with the Giants.”

In order to understand what types of players the organization could target in the draft, Gase and Fangio‘s systems must be examined.

 

Creating Mismatches Will Be Key in Gase‘s System

Gase had the luxury of spending the last two seasons as the offensive coordinator of the Denver Broncos with Peyton Manning running his offense. Even though many believe Gase is more a product of Manning than Manning is of Gase, Manning did speak highly of Gase to Accorsi.

“I will tell you that Peyton Manning is really high on him,” Accorsi said about Gase, via Wright. “Peyton Manning said he’s as good a coach as I’ve ever played for. That was unsolicited. He called me.”

While he is not rooted in one specific type of offensive scheme, the biggest part of Gase‘s philosophy is creating mismatches with his playmakers. 

The Bears are lucky enough to have big-target weapons in the passing game like Alshon Jeffery, Brandon Marshall and Martellus Bennett, but the team could look to the draft to find a speedy wide receiver who can create mismatches on the outside and can stretch the field vertically.

Both Jeffery and Marshall are similar to Denver’s Demaryius Thomas because of their ability to go up and get the football in traffic, but the Bears lack an explosive player like Emmanuel Sanders whom Gase worked with last season with the Broncos.

Sanders struggled with injuries his first few years in the league with the Pittsburgh Steelers, but he burst onto the scene in Gase‘s offense last year, hauling in 101 catches for 1,404 yards with nine touchdowns.

With Thomas moving around from outside to inside on a consistent basis, Sanders was able to create mismatches outside on cornerbacks who could not match his speed and acceleration.

According to Pro Football Focus, Sanders was targeted 33 times on deep passes to the outside, hauling in 15 of them for 514 yards and three touchdowns. 

Gase will likely do his best to create mismatches for Jeffery and Marshall to maximize their impact on the game, but the team may look in the draft to find someone who will help make those two even better.

Last year’s draft may have had one of the best wide receiver classes ever, but the 2015 class looks like it has plenty of receivers who could fit in Chicago’s new scheme.

The team will likely look at defense in the first round, but it may not be able to pass on guys like Florida State’s Rashad Greene or Kansas State’s Tyler Lockett in the second or third rounds.

Not exactly a burner at the position, Greene relies more on solid route running and initial quickness to create separation against opposing cornerbacks.

After a strong junior campaign for the Seminoles in 2013, he returned for his senior season and put up impressive numbers last year. Per FSU Football:

He has the ability to work outside and has proven he can be fearless when coming across the middle. National Football Post’s Greg Gabriel likes what Greene can do in the short and deep passing game, writing:

Greene is effective as both a short and deep receiver and is a dangerous runner after the catch. With his speed and burst he is very effective on deeper routes. In the FSU system, Greene is used on a lot of crossing routes and against college defensive backs he gets a number of big plays with his speed. He is an excellent space player.

Greene does struggle at times catching the ball with his body instead of his hands, but he is the type of player who could thrive instantly playing alongside guys like Jeffery and Marshall.

If Gase and the Bears want more of a pure speed receiver, Lockett could be their guy. 

In four years at Kansas State, the 5’11” Lockett hauled in 249 catches for 3,710 yards and 29 touchdowns, including 106 catches for 1,515 yards and 11 touchdowns in his senior season.

He is not a big receiver, but he can be dangerous in space and is a terrific route-runner. Matt Harmon of FootballGuys.com compared Lockett to Sanders earlier this year:

Just like Sanders, Lockett has the ability to play outside and stretch the field vertically but can work from the slot and catch the ball over the middle. Bleacher Report’s Matt Bowen was impressed with Lockett at Senior Bowl practices last week, writing:

Lockett has that vertical speed to blow the top off the secondary. Plus, the Kansas State wide receiver also brings that sudden burst to the field that allows him to set up defensive backs with a quick double move. At 5’10”, 181 pounds, Lockett can be a valuable weapon for a team that needs to add some speed to the wide receiver position. Think of Lockett as a No. 3 who can work from inside the numbers to create explosive plays.

Lockett‘s strong week in Mobile could help bolster his stock, and both Greene and Lockett could be available for the Bears after the first round. 

In addition to trying to create mismatches on offense, Gase also showed a willingness to pound the football on the ground with running back C.J. Anderson last season when Manning was fighting through injuries.

After going undrafted in 2013, Anderson signed with the Broncos and made appearances in five games his rookie season before starting seven games down the stretch for Denver last year. In his seven starts, he rushed for 677 yards with eight touchdowns. 

Even though much of Gase‘s background in Denver revolves around throwing the football with Manning, Fox stated in his introductory press conference he wants the Bears to have balance on offense.

“I think offensively you strive for balance,” Fox said, via John Mullin of CSNChicago.com. “You’ve got to have that attitude, the mindset to be able to run the football.”

The Bears already have one of the best all-around running backs in the game in Matt Forte, but the team may look for a bruising-type back who can run between the tackles and take time off the clock. 

The team could look earlier in the draft for a more dynamic running back to back up Forte, but it might be able to find a bruiser later in the draft like LSU’s Terrence Magee.

Magee registered 1,330 yards on 226 carries with 12 touchdowns in his four-year career for the Tigers, and he is one of the few downhill, between-the-tackles runners in this year’s draft.

At 5’9″ and 220 pounds, he is much shorter than most NFL running backs, but his small frame allows him to find space between the tackles. Bleacher Report’s Michael Shottey was impressed with Magee‘s performance at practices for the East-West Shrine Game.

“What I like most is [Magee‘s] first couple of steps from handoff to the hole,” Shottey wrote. “It’s a crucial moment for a back, and his initial burst in that regard is fantastic. I also watched a number of plays from the end-zone angle, and he showcased a unique ability to find creases other backs did not.”

Magee would not be expected to carry the load right away, but he could eventually compete with second-year man Ka’Deem Carey for the starting position down the road when Forte and the Bears eventually part ways.

If Gase and the Bears can find a speedy receiver who can create mismatches and a powerful downhill runner, Chicago’s offense should be able to take a giant step forward in 2015. 

 

Fangio‘s Defense Needs Pass-Rushers and Space-Eating Defensive Tackles

After struggling under Mel Tucker the past two seasons, Chicago’s defense will take on a new look in 2015 under Fangio. Rooted in 3-4 principles, Fangio‘s scheme is not strictly a 3-4 look.

While many teams that run 3-4 defenses run strictly three defensive linemen with a nose tackle playing heads-up on the center, Fangio has shown in the past he can be flexible with the talent he has around him.

“The Bears can expect to have a great leader who will have his guys ready to play every Sunday,” 49ers safety Antoine Bethea said of his former coordinator, via Mark Potash of the Chicago Sun-Times. “It was a pleasure playing for him this year.”

He later commented on how Fangio puts his players in the best position to succeed.

“On game day, he’s on point,” he said. “Right time. Putting us in the right situation. Right calls. And just having guys in the right place where everybody can succeed.”

While the Bears still have plenty of talent on the offensive side of the football to compete in 2015, they will need to add some impact players on defense in the draft.

Fangio‘s prized pupil during his time in San Francisco was outside linebacker Aldon Smith, and the organization will likely be looking for a similar type of player come late April.

Luckily for the Bears, there should be a couple of pass-rushing outside linebackers available when they select seventh overall in the first round. 

Nebraska’s Randy Gregory likely will not be around when the Bears make their first selection, but the team could find themselves choosing between guys like Missouri’s Shane Ray, Kentucky’s Alvin Dupree or Florida’s Dante Fowler.

Both Ray and Dupree are extremely athletic, but Dupree has longer arms and can utilize his hands better at the line of scrimmage against opposing offensive linemen.

Both rely a bit too much on their speed to beat linemen off the snap, but they have the ability to step in on Day 1 and make an immediate impact on a defense that lacks much youth and athleticism.

Fowler is a slightly more intriguing option because it is still up in the air where he fits best in the NFL. He played outside linebacker, both defensive end positions and defensive tackle for the Gators and had a knack for getting after the quarterback, but he may drop in the draft if he cannot prove he can add strength and improve against the run.

Fangio was not afraid to move Smith back and forth between a more traditional 4-3 defensive end to a 3-4 outside linebacker in San Francisco, and Fowler has been compared to Smith because of his ability to line up with a hand on the ground or standing up.

While finding a pass-rusher will likely be at the top of the team’s wish list in the first round, it could look to anchor the middle of the defensive line with a guy like Washington‘s Danny Shelton.

Shelton is a prototypical space-eating 3-4 nose tackle who can take on double-teams and open up space for his inside linebackers to make a play. In addition to being able to take up space, he also has the ability to push back opposing centers and collapse the pocket. 

Oregon State quarterback Sean Mannion experienced Shelton’s ability to collapse the pocket many times over the last four years.

“Powerful, powerful guy,” Mannion said, via Eric Edholm of Yahoo Sports. “He’s just so strong in there. Most of the interior guys, they’re run-stoppers mainly. But he’s able to do both: stop the run and collapse the pocket.”

It is not often that nose tackles get selected in the top 10 of the draft, but Shelton would immediately help fill a need for a defense that lacks many defensive linemen who fit in a 3-4 defense. 

If the team waits until the second or third round to address the position, Iowa’s Carl Davis has the ability to develop into a starter.

Davis is still a little raw and did not live up to his potential for the Hawkeyes, but he has terrific strength and a first step that helps him create penetration off the line of scrimmage. He showed off that strength and athleticism in the Senior Bowl last week. Per Joe Goodberry:

Whether the team goes after a pass-rusher in the first round or a nose tackle, Chicago will need to stock up on both positions in the draft this year in order to get the most out of Fangio‘s scheme moving forward. 

 

 

Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted.

Matt Eurich is an NFL/Chicago Bears Featured Columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.

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