August 2007 Archive

Bears Preview: Defensive Line

by Ricky O'Donnell on August 31 at 4:43PM

I'm just going to come right out and say it: the Bears have the best defensive line in the NFL. And I don't even think it's close. Sure, certain teams have two studs- like say, the Chargers with Castillo and Williams, the Jaguars with Henderson and Stroud in the middle, and the Patriots with Seymour and Wilfork- but no one can match the five established beasts the Bears are throwing out there. And that's not even counting Dusty Dvoacek, last years third round pick from Oklahoma who missed his entire rookie season but has been tearing it up in training camp and preseason. Yes, a lot of quarterbacks are going to find their rightful place on the turf when they play this group in 2007.

This isn't a bunch of pampered first round picks, either. Besides for Tommie Harris, no other member of the fearsome fivesome was drafted earlier then the third round. It's a collection of misfits, malcontents, and guys who fell on hard luck in college, all coming together to form one ferocious pass rush. It's a credit to GM Jerry Angelo for bringing everyone in and a credit to Lovie Smith for making it work.

We all know how important a pass rush is the cover-2, without it, the defense doesn't function correctly. Just look at how few sacks Urlacher and Briggs- two of the best five or ten linebackers in the league- get. It's because of the pass rush that those two can stay in their zones, while the front four is able to pressure with quarterback without the help of a blitz. With Ron Rivera departed, expect to see more of a true cover two from the Bears this year, which means the defensive linemen are going to have even more pressure on them.

It all starts in the middle with Tommie Harris, who, according to Peter King, is the 25th best player in the NFL, and third best defensive tackle. Not bad for a guy that's only 22 years old. Think about that for a second. Tommie Harris is poised to be one of the best players in the NFL for the next ten years, and that's a conservative estimate. The Bears defense thrives when Harris is breaking through double teams in the middle, and that point was proven when he went down in Week 13 last season with a hamstring injury. Once he was out of the lineup, the defense wasn't the same. They allowed opponents over 300 yards of total offense multiple times, something unheard of during the Lovie Smith Era, and they're swagger was partially missing. The Bears were overly cautious with Harris this preseason, which is certainly acceptable, and he should be full speed for the Chargers, Week 1.

Because they were noticeably worse with Harris out of the lineup last season, the Bears got some insurance in the form of Darwin Walker. Walker comes the Bills, after he was traded there from the Eagles for Takeo Spikes. He's a pass rushing tackle, similar to Harris, that tallied six sacks last season. That's great for a tackle, and he should have even more opportunities this season because of who he's lining up next to.

Which brings us to Smith and Angelo's favorite position, defensive end. This was clear during the draft when the Bears took one, Dan Bazuin, with their second pick, despite the fact that they already have three very good edge rushers. Buzz has been slowed by injuries in the preseason, but if he can contribute this year, that just makes this line even scarier. Speaking of guys who suffered from injury problems during the preseason, no one could have possibly expected Mark Anderson to be so dominant as a rookie last season. I mean, the guy hardly ever played, and still tallied 12 sacks. I know The Freak is Javon Kearse's nickname, but it's time he hands it over to Anderson. How else can you describe a 6'4, 255 lb guy who runs a 4.5 40 and has a 40 plus inch vertical. Injuries are the reason Anderson fell to the Bears in the fifth round last year, but production is the reason he's taken a starting spot from Alex Brown this season.

It isn't that Brown was bad, it's that Anderson is so good. If he can play the run better this season, the Bears could be looking at one of the top d-ends in the league. And Brown will play a lot this year. Lovie will rotate him consistently with Anderson and O-Gun, keeping them fresh throughout games and the season. I actually think Alex Brown is very good; having him as your third best defensive end doesn't seem fair.

Adewale Ogunleye is the last member for the wrecking crew. Though he's never match his 17-sack season with the Dolphins here in Chicago, Wale has been as disruptive as anyone when he's on the field. He only had 6.5 sacks last season, but his consistent pressure can't be measured. During the two games he was out last season, the difference was palpable.

On a stacked defense, these linemen really standout. They're the reason the Bears can play the style of football they want to, and the reason everyone around these parts is gearing up for another Super Bowl trip. If the old saying is true, "it all begins in the trenches", then the Bears should be just fine in 2007.

While I'm going to wait to the end to give you my prediction on how the Bears season will end up, I'm going to try to give you statistical projections for every major player. Here's what I got for the d-line this year:

Harris: 9 sacks

Ogunleye: 11 sacks

Anderson: 9 sacks

Brown: 4 sacks

Walker: 3 sacks

August 2007 Archive

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