Who Will Stand out Along the Chicago Bears’ Defensive Line During Training Camp?
Published by Matt Eurich on July 30, 2015
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Chicago Bears
Much of the talk this offseason surrounding the Chicago Bears and their switch to a 3-4 defense has focused on who will be rushing the quarterback from the outside linebacker position, but the Bears will need a few of their defensive linemen to step up during training camp if they want to be successful this season.
During Marc Trestman’s tenure as head coach from 2013 to 2014, the Bears were statistically one of the worst defenses in the league.
When general manager Ryan Pace was hired this offseason, he said he wanted the Bears to rediscover their old identity on defense.
“When you think about the Chicago Bears’ identity over the years, it’s tough, physical defense, and we’re going to get back to that,” Pace said, according to Michael C. Wright of ESPN.com.
In order for the Bears to be a “tough, physical defense,” they are going to need get solid production out of the defensive line.
As it currently stands, the Bears have 10 defensive linemen on the roster, and only two have been in the league for more than four years: Jeremiah Ratliff (10 years) and Jarvis Jenkins (five years).
Ratliff and Jenkins will be leaned on heavily this season, but the team needs a few of its young linemen to step up during training camp.
Who has the best chance to stand out during training camp and become a key part of Chicago’s defensive line in 2015?
A Pair of 2014 Draft Picks
The Bears were desperate to improve their defense last offseason, and former general manager Phil Emery used the team’s second-round pick on LSU defensive tackle Ego Ferguson and the third-round pick on Arizona State defensive tackle Will Sutton.
Ferguson was a good fit in Chicago’s 4-3 defense as a nose tackle because of his ability against the run, while Sutton was a good fit at the 3-technique defensive tackle spot because of his ability to collapse the pocket and apply pressure to the quarterback.
With the team’s switch to a 3-4 defense this offseason, both Ferguson and Sutton are expected to play on the outside at defensive end and inside at nose tackle.
Ferguson’s size (6’2″, 309 lbs) makes him a good fit on the outside at the 5-technique defensive end spot, but Sutton (6’0″, 315 lbs) lacks the desired height to play outside at defensive end. Sutton’s weight does not make him a good fit inside at nose tackle, but according to Adam Jahns of the Chicago Sun-Times, the young lineman did take snaps at the position during OTAs.
“I just need to do what I need to do and play,” Sutton said. “I don’t have to be a typical nose guard if I can go out there and make plays.”
Sutton was an impressive one-gap player at Arizona State and was terrific at creating pressure, but he will now be asked to be a two-gap player and will have to take on more responsibilities against the run.
Fangio has been known to be flexible in the past with his defensive scheme, so even though the Bears will call themselves a 3-4 defense, there is a good chance Fangio will mix in some four-man fronts along the way.
“It feels good,” said Sutton about the transition, per Jahns. “I’m a ‘D’ lineman. … It’s really not that hard of a transition. You just have to adjust to defense and the scheme.”
While there are some concerns about where Sutton will fit along the defensive line, Ferguson’s role appears to be more defined.
Ferguson worked hard earlier this offseason to lose some weight, and he feels like some areas of his game have improved because of his weight loss.
“My overall quickness has improved. My reaction time is better,” Ferguson said, per Beth Gorr of BearReport.com. “I feel more comfortable in lateral moves. Forward speed has a real burst now. That is pretty much the result I was hoping for when I decided to work this hard during the offseason.”
Ferguson is strong enough to anchor against the run on both the outside and the inside, but he is also quick enough to apply pressure to the quarterback.
Ferguson and Sutton are prime candidates to stand out in training camp along the defensive line, but a pair of rookies also have a chance to make a name for themselves in the coming weeks.
Chicago’s Only Two Pure Nose Tackles
Every 3-4 defense needs a bruising presence along the defensive line, and the Bears believe they got one in this year’s draft in second-round pick Eddie Goldman.
Goldman anchored the middle of Florida State’s defensive line in 2013 and 2014, and the former Seminole impressed Chicago’s coaching staff in OTAs and minicamps.
“He’s picking up the defense,” head coach John Fox said, per Larry Mayer of ChicagoBears.com. “There are some movement things Ed knows that you have to know. Some of the closed call mechanics are different than these guys experienced in college. I like what I’ve seen. He’s working at it hard and he’s a big square body.”
Goldman is stout against the run and can apply pressure to the quarterback, but he will have to prove he can be a three-down player at the NFL level. After he was drafted, Pace talked about Goldman’s ability to be an every-down nose tackle, per Mayer.
I know a lot of people say, ‘when you say nose tackle, this is just a two-down guy.’ [But] he can collapse the pocket. He’s got a strong power to bull rush. So he can provide that, too. That’s going to help out a lot. It helps the outside linebackers when they’re coming off the edge if you’ve got some push in the middle, and he can provide that.
If he is able to prove in training camp he can be an every-down player, it will free up an opportunity for Ratliff to play more on the outside at the 5-technique defensive end position.
The only other pure nose tackle on the roster outside of Goldman is undrafted rookie Terry Williams.
Williams was a four-year contributor at East Carolina, and the stout nose tackle finished his collegiate career with 125 total tackles, 17 tackles for loss and three sacks. According to Bleacher Report’s Matt Miller, Williams struggled with his weight in college, and that is one reason why he went undrafted in May.
“I had some issues back in college, and I’m not the tallest guy. I’m not the guy you see and say, ‘Man, he looks good,’” Williams said about going undrafted, according to Mayer. “So I wasn’t surprised, but I was a little disappointed.”
According to Miller, Williams weighed as much as 353 pounds in 2014, but he is at his best when playing around 320 pounds. Williams is a prototypical space-eating nose tackle, and he is surprisingly quick for someone of his size.
Since the Bears lack depth at the position as a whole, the young nose tackle could be a surprise standout during training camp.
The Wild Card
Earlier this week, the Bears added former Arizona Cardinals and Dallas Cowboys defensive lineman David Carter to their 90-man roster:
The Cardinals drafted Carter in the sixth round of the 2011 draft, and he appeared in all 32 games between 2011 and 2012. He recorded 28 tackles and one sack while playing both nose tackle and defensive end in Arizona’s 3-4 defense.
Carter played three games with the Cowboys in 2013 and spent part of the 2014 offseason with the Oakland Raiders and Jacksonville Jaguars, but he was out of the league all of last season.
Carter played sparingly during his first three seasons at UCLA, but he came on strong near the end of his senior season. He is athletic and is quick off the snap of the football, but he needs to learn how to use his hands better. His ability to play both inside and outside in a 3-4 makes him an intriguing option, and he proved to be an effective pass-rusher during his time in Arizona.
According to Pro Football Focus, Carter finished the 2012 season with a minus-5.2 overall grade, but his plus-2.8 pass-rush grade was the third-best on the team.
It will be difficult for Carter to break through and earn a significant role during training camp, but he is an experienced veteran who fits well in Fangio‘s system. Guys like Sutton, Ferguson, Goldman and Williams may have more upside, but Carter’s versatility could help him earn a spot on the roster.
Both Ratliff and Jenkins appear to be locks to make the roster because of their experience in a 3-4 defense, but guys like Sutton, Ferguson, Goldman, Williams and Carter all have an opportunity to make a name for themselves in the coming weeks.
Ferguson and Sutton are learning a new position, but both are young, talented players who could thrive in Fangio‘s system if used the right way. Goldman and Williams are both rookies, but they fill a need at the nose tackle position, while Carter is a good fit because of his versatility.
Ferguson and Sutton should receive the most chances to prove themselves this summer, and both could come away from training camp as starters along the defensive line in 2015.
Statistical information courtesy of NFL.com and Sports-Reference.com unless otherwise noted. Measurables courtesy of ChicagoBears.com.
Matt Eurich is a Chicago Bears featured columnist for Bleacher Report and a member of the Pro Football Writers of America.
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