Chicago Bears Training Camp Preview: Outside Linebackers
Last season’s Chicago Bears outside linebacker corps suffered through injuries. As a result, there were players out of position. With a new defensive scheme, healthy players and new faces, the Bears are hoping the outside linebackers can put pressure on opposing quarterbacks and improve on pass coverage.
The Chicago Bears suffered through a plethora of injuries to its linebacker corps. The team had to patch things up, having to use players out of position or players too raw to be depended upon so much.
The Bears added some new faces (Pernell McPhee and Sam Acho) at outside linebacker, and, with the new 3-4 base scheme, have some players adjusting to a new position.
McPhee was the grand prize signing by the Bears. He was given a fat contract (5-year, $38.75 million, $15.5 million guaranteed). He will be depended upon to mainly rush the quarterback, but he will also need to do well in coverage. He will need to do a good job covering tight ends, and at 6-foot-3 and 280 pounds, he can do that. His incredible strength will help him.
Head coach John Fox loves McPhee’s strength. “He’s a powerful man. When you put him over a tight end, or even put him over a tackle, he matches up well.”
McPhee had 7.5 sacks and 27 tackles last season. He also registered 21 quarterback hits and 64 quarterback hurries. He has 17 sacks, 92tackles and three forced fumbles in four seasons with the Baltimore Ravens, but he started just six games over that period.
Now McPhee will be the man with the Bears. He will start at one of the outside linebacker slots, but will be used all over the field, including the defensive line, to utilize his size and athleticism.
The battle for the second outside linebacker spot will be very interesting. In the mix are Acho, Lamarr Houston and Jared Allen.
Allen had an awful 2014 campaign. He had just 5.5 sacks (a career low). He attributes his troubles to dealing with pneumonia early in the season. He lost weight and strength, and struggled to get back all season.
Allen is healthy again and energized to play a new position. He knows that people are looking to bury him after a bad season and his age (33 years old), but he is eager to prove that last season was an aberration. “I’ve accomplished enough in this league to know what I’m capable of,” he said. “But honestly how you prove it is you get on the practice field and you go to work. You bust your ass day in and day out.”
Houston is also eager to prove last season was a fluke. He is recovering from a torn ACL suffered when he got a sack late in a blowout loss against the New England Patriots. He heard all the jokes and wants to shut the jokesters up.
Houston is athletic enough to play in different spots, giving defensive coordinator Vic Fangio a lot of options. He has to be completely healthy to do that, however, and we won’t know if he is until he goes out in training camp and play in preseason games.
Acho has already impressed the coaching staff in Chicago. He played for the Arizona Cardinals and did well in the 3-4 scheme there, so he does not have much adjusting to do.
Acho is not a great pass rusher. Houston and Allen are better at that than he. Acho has the advantage in all the other aspects, though. He is a very good run defender, and he covers better than the other two. He can also play special teams, and play it well, so there is also that.
The Bears also have David Bass and Willie Young in the rotation.
Young had the most success for the defense last season, recording 10 sacks (a career and team high). He is also recovering from an injury, having suffered an Achilles tear late in the season.
Young is a player who has played in a 4-3 scheme, so he has some adjustment to make. He may find himself as a surprise cut if he cannot make the adjustment needed to get on the field as a linebacker.