Imported Colts Coaches Provide Stability

The Bears appear to have given themselves a fighting chance with the coaching staff they've assembled, or are assembling.

They took another step toward completing their staff Friday with the hiring of James Rowe as defensive backs coach.

Rowe became the fourth member of the Indianapolis Colts coaching staff to come over to Chicago with head coach Matt Eberflus. Linebackers coach Dave Borgonzi and new Bears defensive coordinator Allen Williams also came over from the Colts with Eberflus. Also, assistant defensive backs coach David Overstreet II had come over from the Colts.

Rowe was only in Indianapolis one season as their cornerbacks coach but had coached in Washington from 2017-19. He had coached in college football from 2007-2016.

With only a few spots still open, it's apparent the staff on defense will have a chance to make the conversion from a 3-4 defense to 4-3 easier.

"So this will be the third time that we switch from a 3‐4 to a 4‐3, or that I've been involved in that switch over," said Eberflus. "But will we have elements and pieces of a 3‐4? Sure, we have that. We're going to adjust and move and be flexible.

"We're going to look at the talents and skill levels of the players we have and we'll fit our scheme around those players. But the foundational pieces won't change in terms of how we play."

It remains to be seen how much of a 3-4 style will still exist, but Eberflus did take part in both Dallas and Indianapolis switching from a 3-4 to a 4-3 in the past. He was linebackers coach with the Cowboys in 2013 when defensive coordinator Monte Kiffin put a 4-3 in after Rob Ryan had used a 3-4. Then as coordinator he did it in 2018.

The two experiences were quite different in how it immediately worked. The Cowboys dropped from 19th on defense to last in the league in 2013 with the switch. Then Rod Marinelli took over as defensive coordinator and they improved to 19th in 2014.

With the Colts as coordinator, Eberflus put in the 3-4 for 2018 and they went from 30th to 11th on defense in the first year.

Putting in the defense with a familiar staff can't hurt. When Eberflus took over in Indianapolis as defensive coordinator, he had Borgonzi and Williams on staff and both had coached in systems that relied on cover-2 extensively in the past.

The Bears are still the only team to hire a head coach from the defensive side of the ball this offseason, as Jacksonville's opening was filled on Friday with the hiring of Doug Pederson.

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