Chances the Bears install a new defense?

[fleet]

What the hell, this board doesn't have enough new threads

Bears work out last year’s Mr. Irrelevant
By Adam Caplan
May 10, 2012

The Chicago Bears worked out at least a few players on Thursday, Thesidelineview.com has learned. One of them was DE/SLB Cheta Ozougwu, who was selected by the Houston Texans with the last pick of the 2011 NFL Draft (seventh round/254th overall).

Ozougwu (6-2, 250), who was waived by the Texans last September, lined up at outside linebacker during training camp and preseason last year, but would likely play with his hand down at defensive end if the Bears wind up signing him.

The Bears selected DE/OLB Shea McClellin with their first-round pick in this year’s draft, but the Bears are light on depth on the defensive line, so McClellin is expected to line up at end this season. The Bears currently have six defensive ends on their 90-man roster.

Wyoming Tribune-Eagle, Cheyenne
1:05 p.m. CDT, May 10, 2012

LARAMIE —
The Chicago Bears are getting heavy with former University of Wyoming Cowboys.

After Wednesday they've got two.

The Bears announced that they've reached free agent terms with recent UW graduate Josh Biezuns, who earns an invitation to the team's voluntary minicamp later this month.

Two weeks ago the Bears also signed former UW running back Alvester Alexander.

Biezuns started three seasons for the Cowboys at three different positions on the Wyoming defense. In 2011 Biezuns recorded 63 tackles, including a season-high 10 tackles in a win over Air Force. Biezuns also had five sacks.

Josh Biezuns is a 6'1 250lbs DE/LB. Cheta Ozougwu is 6'2 250lb DE/LB. And we all know about Shea McClellin, the 6'3 260lb DE/LB. These are 3-4 defense type players. Maybe not quite a full on 3-4 but some hybrid 3/4-4/3 installation? Could be purely special teams kinds of aquisitions too. Even as practice squad ends, these are weird types of players for a 4/3 Defense.

[emperorjones]

I doubt they'd put in a new defense, but they may be trying to grab guys who were too one dimensional to drip into coverage and play in a 3-4 and convert them to athletic rushing ends.

[Chewie]

I honestly think they're just looking at a 3rd down DE option - a pure speed rusher.

But, yeah, if the Bears suck the big one this year and Lovie is shown the door I could see a revamp and a 3-4 defense put in. It's what all the cool kids are doing after all.

[DJhitek]

I think new wrinkles in the defense is plausible, but a new defense entirely? Not likely..

[Magilla_Gorilla]

Lovie Smith wants speed from his end rusher position. He himself has said that he doesn't care how big an end is so long as he has speed and plays with leverage/strength.

There is zero chance we got to a 3-4 so long as Lovie is here.

[ChronicKerr]

Only chance is if Lovie is canned after a bad year and a new coaching staff comes in to change it.

[Cliff Levingston]

Lovie Smith wants speed from his end rusher position. He himself has said that he doesn't care how big an end is so long as he has speed and plays with leverage/strength.

There is zero chance we got to a 3-4 so long as Lovie is here.

Right. Mark Anderson got 12 sacks as a rookie purely as a speed rusher on 3rd downs with no other skills to speak of really. He was 6'4" 254 coming out of college and is still listed at that on the Bills website.

[BIGGIEsmalls 23]

I'll just put any Defense info in this thread.

The Bears' signing of free agent cornerback Jonathan Wilhite flew under the radar back in April, but the fifth-year defensive back has stood out in both OTAs open to the media at Halas Hall. With Tim Jennings sidelined Wednesday due to undisclosed reasons, Wilhite handled the first-team reps at cornerback, and intercepted an underthrown Jay Cutler pass at the start of team drills.

Wilhite also picked off a pass last week when the media was in attendance.

http://espn.go.com/blog/chicago/bears/p ... ty-in-otas

[alucryts]

I really don't see us changing the defense this season. The only way it happens is if the team flops this season BECAUSE of the defense and not injuries.

[JDRochholz]

Jeff Dickerson ‏@ESPNChiBears
Brian Urlacher tells @WaddleandSilvy on ESPN 1000 he'll be ready to practice the first day of training camp on July 26. #Bears

Jeff Dickerson ‏@ESPNChiBears
Urlacher wants to play 2-3 more years at the least. #Bears

Atleast we know our leader will still be out there for awhile!

[TNBT]

That's great news about Urlacher. As long as he can still produce at even 50%, he's still better than the majority of players in the league. As for the rest of the defense, I don't claim to be an expert by any means, but I don't really see us changing from a 4-3. I think it will be great having guys on the ends who can get to the QB and apply pressure consistently. I do have one question regarding the defense though: how do you pronounce Paea and Toeaina?

[Chewie]

how do you pronounce Paea and Toeaina?

Pretty sure it's : PIE-uh and toe-EE-nuh

[bearadonisdna]

I dont know but using the cover 2 in third and long situations scares me.

3rd and long and u got ur corners covering the flats?

Really?

[lcomitor1]

Many expect the Bears to have a very successful season, with the major concerns being the Green Bay Packers. But considering what has happened so far in the preseason, the Bears really shouldn't think they'll have an easy go of it - especially with the Colts in week one. Read more here:

http://midwaymadness.com/2012/08/pat-fi ... u-history/

[fleet]

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/articl ... ce0ce0034a

Urlacher on the cover 2. He doesn't like it (for selfish reasons)

Not involved: Urlacher isn't a huge fan of the cover-two defense, but he isn't about to argue with the success the Bears have enjoyed while playing the scheme.

"It's not fun, but the cover-two works," Urlacher said. "I've said it every year. It's not my favorite thing, but it works. We've gotten a lot of takeaways playing it this year, and we're good at it."

The middle linebacker in the cover-two generally drops deep in pass coverage down the seam. Asked what he doesn't like about the scheme, Urlacher said: "I'm not involved. I'm being selfish. Unless they attack the middle of the field, I'm not really involved in the play.

"They throw checkdowns. I don't get to blitz or anything like that. I just kind of run through the middle and hope something happens. I'm really good at congratulating people, though, in cover-two. I'm the No. 1 high-fiver when someone makes a play. I'm leading the team in that."

So I'm forced to ask the obvious question. For years the Bears have run a defense where their ostensibly best player feels he is, or definately is....."not involved"? That would be real genius, running a defense that underutilizes Brian Urlacher. Luckily the Bears fully utilize Lovie Smith.

[NZB2323]

I don't mind us running a 3-4 ever now and then to throw off the other team, but we should stick with the 4-3.

The Bears are 61-12 when they score 18 or more points under head coach Lovie Smith. The Bears have also been the number one defense in the NFL in turnovers and scoring under Lovie Smith. The year we went to the Superbowl our front 4 was fantastic and our defense was fantastic. This year, the D-line is playing well and our defense looks elite. I'm not saying that the 4-3 system is better than the 3-4, but for this team, under Lovie Smith is works wonders if we have a pass rush, which is why I think that we signed these players. Tim Jennings has been our best player this year but our defensive line has been great, going all the way to the bench.

I felt that when most teams in the NFL ran a 4-3, teams that ran a 3-4 had an advantage in the draft for picking players meant for a 3-4. Now that most teams run a 3-4, teams that run a 4-3 have an advantage in draft.

Urlacher has been complaining about the cover two for as long as I can remember. His primary job is to stop the run and cover the short to middle pass in the center of the field. He doesn't get a lot of opportunities to do that because we shut down the run for teams and the quarterback looks to pass somewhere else, which means that Urlacher is doing a great job for our defense. It might be better for Urlacher's stats if we run a 3-4, but I don't think that it would be better for the team. We have 2 good linebackers and more than 4 good D-linemen. It doesn't make sense for our personnel to run a 3-4.

[Susan]

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/As-always-defense-will-focus-on-stopping-run-first/033a7b42-e0a3-4d6a-b552-59ce0ce0034a

Urlacher on the cover 2. He doesn't like it (for selfish reasons)

Not involved: Urlacher isn't a huge fan of the cover-two defense, but he isn't about to argue with the success the Bears have enjoyed while playing the scheme.

"It's not fun, but the cover-two works," Urlacher said. "I've said it every year. It's not my favorite thing, but it works. We've gotten a lot of takeaways playing it this year, and we're good at it."

The middle linebacker in the cover-two generally drops deep in pass coverage down the seam. Asked what he doesn't like about the scheme, Urlacher said: "I'm not involved. I'm being selfish. Unless they attack the middle of the field, I'm not really involved in the play.

"They throw checkdowns. I don't get to blitz or anything like that. I just kind of run through the middle and hope something happens. I'm really good at congratulating people, though, in cover-two. I'm the No. 1 high-fiver when someone makes a play. I'm leading the team in that."

So I'm forced to ask the obvious question. For years the Bears have run a defense where their ostensibly best player feels he is, or definately is....."not involved"? That would be real genius, running a defense that underutilizes Brian Urlacher. Luckily the Bears fully utilize Lovie Smith.

The Bears have the best defense in the NFL right now.

[fleet]

http://www.chicagobears.com/news/article-1/As-always-defense-will-focus-on-stopping-run-first/033a7b42-e0a3-4d6a-b552-59ce0ce0034a

Urlacher on the cover 2. He doesn't like it (for selfish reasons)

Not involved: Urlacher isn't a huge fan of the cover-two defense, but he isn't about to argue with the success the Bears have enjoyed while playing the scheme.

"It's not fun, but the cover-two works," Urlacher said. "I've said it every year. It's not my favorite thing, but it works. We've gotten a lot of takeaways playing it this year, and we're good at it."

The middle linebacker in the cover-two generally drops deep in pass coverage down the seam. Asked what he doesn't like about the scheme, Urlacher said: "I'm not involved. I'm being selfish. Unless they attack the middle of the field, I'm not really involved in the play.

"They throw checkdowns. I don't get to blitz or anything like that. I just kind of run through the middle and hope something happens. I'm really good at congratulating people, though, in cover-two. I'm the No. 1 high-fiver when someone makes a play. I'm leading the team in that."

So I'm forced to ask the obvious question. For years the Bears have run a defense where their ostensibly best player feels he is, or definately is....."not involved"? That would be real genius, running a defense that underutilizes Brian Urlacher. Luckily the Bears fully utilize Lovie Smith.

The Bears have the best defense in the NFL right now.

terrific. They probably should have traded Urlacher years ago then.

[heir_jordan22]

That article is stupid. Urlacher clearly is going to say he's not involved because he doesn't get to be near the line of scrimmage and therefore he doesn't get as many chances to get sacks and force turnovers. That's clearly what a defensive player wants to do.

But his impact on this D goes beyond that. With Urlacher in that deep zone nobody wants to throw the ball deep. As Brain says, he's selfish, he wants the ball in his hands. But he has tremendous impact on how teams play us. Dumb article.

He's staying if his agent and the FO are anywhere in the same ballpark for a contract extension.

[bearadonisdna]

Whatever the Bears are doing , it is working.

My only question is, after the jags game, where did the sacks go?