The Linebacking "Problem"

[NoSkyy]

I don't necessarily know if anyone else considers this a problem but I believe it's quite evident that we have a lot of good talent at Linebacker but no way to play them all(not necessarily a problem against the Rams because everyone was injured.) I think it becomes a problem when you have good depth, no way to keep all the players and none of them are potentially really good OLB for a 3-4 system so that's out of the question.

Suppose you're calling the shots: during the offseason, what do you guys think we should do?

Here's what I think about each individual linebacker

Brian Urlacher: undisputed, plays MLB
Pisa Tinoasomoa: SLB, do we keep him or not sign him? The knee injury seemed like a freak accident and in limited time he was good.
Lance Briggs: Pro-bowl WLB, seems to be our best linebacker.
Jamar Williams: coming off a 20 tackle performance(against Stephen Jackson no less), plays WLB. Can he play the Sam? Or is he doomed to back up Lance Briggs?
Nick Roach: Very good athletic SLB, played well enough to merit starting consideration. While athletic, does not call the plays well enough to be MLB. While that may change, I don't think he's big enough.
Hunter Hillenmeyer: Not as athletic or physically imposing as the other linebacker but perhaps the smartest outside of Urlacher.

I think it might be interesting to see a Roach/Pisa - Briggs(can he play middle?) - Williams before the season is over just to see what we have. It's pretty clear that Urlacher is nearing the end of his career(I give him two to three years left) so we would need to find a replacement in the middle for him. I think while most of this can be sorted out later, my ultimate concern is that Jamar Williams is a free agent this year and with that type of production it'll be very hard for him to stay with us when he knows he can't get playing time.

[Cliff Levingston]

We had the discussion earlier in the year about how we would switch to a 3-4. Maybe that was on another board, but ICLO, we've got the personnel to do it. We would now just need a defensive coordinator who knows how to run it.

OLB: Tinoisamoa, Williams, Anderson, Ogunleye/Adams
ILB: Briggs, Urlacher, Hillenmeyer, Roach
DE: Harris, Brown, Gilbert, Idonije
DT: Harrison, Adams

[NoSkyy]

I personally don't think we can switch to a 3-4 because I don't think any of our DTs are dominant enough to warrant a double team(with the closest thing being Harris but he plays on one knee). I also don't think any of our OLBs are any good at rushing the passer which seems to be a stable among the really good 3-4 teams.

[Chewie]

Yeah, I've got to question our curent personnel to be able to make that switch as well. It would take some picks or free agency money to get the right guys in here. I still shudder when I think of making the change to a 3-4. Bears tradition and all that...

Would be great if we could unload Urlacher and put Briggs in the middle in our current 4-3 defense though. The Jamar could get on the field. Doubt you'll see it happen.

[ChronicKerr]

I wouldn't be opposed to a switch to the 3-4. Anderson/Adams could play OLB with Briggs/Urlacher/Roach/Williams and we'd have Harrison/Adams/Tommie to try out at the NT. There would be some growing pains, obviously, and we'd probably have to add a piece or two to perfect it but our current scheme sucks.

[NoSkyy]

http://www.chicagobreakingsports.com/20 ... money.html

Even in Bears' 4-3 'D,' Briggs worth the money
Article talks about the value of Briggs/Urlacher compared to their 3-4 counterparts.

[ChronicKerr]

The only way we'll switch to a 3-4 is if Lovie is fired and we bring in a new staff to implement this.