Bear Digest

How Bears edge rusher Montez Sweat finally found a use for OTAs

Saying Montez Sweat is not quite the biggest fan of OTAs would probably be putting it mildly but now even he admits he's reaping the rewards of voluntary offseason practice.
Gene Chamberlain|
Montez Sweat tells media Saturday at Halas Hall he doesn't come to OTAs normally, but made the exception to his rule and benefited.
Montez Sweat tells media Saturday at Halas Hall he doesn't come to OTAs normally, but made the exception to his rule and benefited. | Chicago Bears On SI photo: Chicago Bears Video

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One of the most common complaints made by NFL veterans regards the needless offseason folly known as organized team activities, or OTAs.

It's the voluntary workouts the NFL holds every offseason that keeps their shield in the limelight for up to 11 months of the year if not longer.

Bears defensive end Montez Sweat makes no bone about his disdain for it all.

"I came to OTAs," he said. "I usually don't attend OTAs."

There was a reason for doing it this year and it's probably true for any new coaching staff. This is to get familiar with the new defensive scheme or offensive system. And it doesn't hurt showing some respect for the new staff even if it is just once.

Walking in out of the cold on reporting day at the end of July to try to learn the defensive scheme just doesn't cut it in a league with great parity like the NFL, where everyone is looking for an edge.

So Sweat did find some value in this year's OTAs after all.

“I guess you could say that, yes, I learned the defense over the summer, and now we’re going back over it again in training camp," he said. "So there’s some similarities and some things I brought with me from OTAs and the summer camp that I can bring with me to training camp and hone in on.”

Dennis Allen's scheme has been called confusing and challenging by more than one Bears offensive player going against it. Sweat called it "complex," during OTAs and isn't backing off of it.

"It's a complex scheme," he said. "I think it keeps you on your toes. But it challenges us as a defense to hone in on our communication and flourish in that way."

It has the Sweat stamp of approval, though, and that's important considering he is the highest-paid Bears player.

"It's a great defensive scheme," Sweat said. "Everybody is still honing in on learning it. But it's a great defensive scheme."

Part of the idea for the scheme is to shut down the run, and Sweat is all in on that. It's shutting down the run that leads to being able to rush the passer.

The Bears want and need more than the 5 1/2 sacks they had from Sweat last year. This is, after all, the 82nd player on NFL.com's 100 top player countdown.

"When he turns that thing on, he is hard in the pass rush game," coach Ben Johnson said. "It is hard to block him. You have to account for him.

"You move him around to the right side, left side, makes it even more difficult because you're looking to help your tackles out with some chips and some nudges and if you don't know where he is going to be, then that makes it that much harder."

They'll be able to move him around from side to side with Dayo Odeyingbo added to the mix. Now they have added former Saints backup edge Tonah Kpassagnon to Austin Booker and Dominique Robinson. Whether they feel this is enough to apply pressure is uncertain.

The extra pressure inside they should get from Gervon Dexter, Grady Jarrett and the other defensive tackles could be sufficient so the edge rush isn't under as much pressure to produce.

Regardless of whether Sweat likes OTAs, it worked for him and Johnson thinks it's to everyone's benefit.

"So, I think what I've seen from him, I met with him in the springtimeand everything that we sat down, and we talked about is exactly what he's been about," Johnson said. "That that speaks volumes for his character.

"He was very disappointed with how the season went last year, as a lot of the guys in the locker room were, both individually and as a team. And he felt such a way and he was so compelled that he was here throughout the springtime, which is not something that he's done in the past. He's committed to this team; he's committed to getting better. I've been very pleased with what I've seen from him so far.”

They'll all be really pleased if the next thing they see from him is double-digit sacks like he posted in 2023 for the Bears and Commanders combined.

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Gene Chamberlain
GENE CHAMBERLAIN

Gene Chamberlain has covered the Chicago Bears full time as a beat writer since 1994 and prior to this on a part-time basis for 10 years. He covered the Bears as a beat writer for Suburban Chicago Newspapers, the Daily Southtown, Copley News Service and has been a contributor for the Daily Herald, the Associated Press, Bear Report, CBS Sports.com and The Sporting News. He also has worked a prep sports writer for Tribune Newspapers and Sun-Times newspapers.