Are Bears Altering Defensive Scheme to Suit Robert Quinn?
Robert Quinn's experience playing outside linebacker in a 3-4 defense is limited and not very successful.
The Bears know this, and after signing Quinn to a five-year, $70 million deal, they could be expected to limit the amount of movement he does in the defense until he's more comfortable.
Quinn sees ways he can succeed as a 3-4 edge rusher, but it's going to require Bears defensive coordinator Chuck Pagano to make some adjustments.
"The only thing that was challenging about the 3-4, if you look at my career, I've never really played the left side," Quinn said. "So I mean, I think we've got a comfortable understanding that hopefully I get to stay on the right side.
"If we've got to flip-flop, I guess I've got to get more comfortable playing on the left. As I get older, I realize that you've got to be a little multi-talented, or be able to change."
Usually Quinn has been on the right side in a 4-3 at end. The Bears flip flop their edge players, and keeping Quinn on one side would mean Bears dominant outside rusher Khalil Mack is easier to scheme against.
This year Quinn will turn 30 and he has only been a 3-4 outside linebacker one season, in 2017 when the Los Angeles Rams went from a 4-3 to a 3-4. Then he was shipped to the Miami Dolphins and was back in the 4-3 there, and again last year in Dallas.
"I don't want to say I felt uncomfortable, it was just really the first time I've really played the left a lot," Quinn said. "I think I had 8.5 sacks that year, not to talk about myself."
With players like Akiem Hicks and Mack on the same line, Quinn doesn't adjust his own expectations.
"Regardless of who I'm playing beside, my personal expectation is double-digit (sacks)," Quinn said. "I'd say record-breaking sacks every year and record-breaking TFLs (tackles for loss) every year.
"They're just personal standards, regardless of who you're playing along."
Mack averages 10 tackles for loss and 8.9 sacks a season. He signed for five years and $70 million, although the team has an out after two years at $30 million.
He'll be replacing Leonard Floyd. One of Floyd's great strengths was his versatility as far as switching sides of the line and going into pass coverage. Giving that up was a difficult decision for GM Ryan Pace, who drafted Floyd in Round 1 in 2016.
"You know, we talked about that and I think a strength of Leonard's was no doubt his coverage ability," Pace said.
So now the pass coverage chores will fall more to the inside linebackers than to the edge rusher opposite Mack.
"We look at our inside linebackers room as a strength and I think the depth of that room is a strength as well," Pace said. "Now, Quinn you know, and Khalil, you want those guys rushing the quarterback as much as possible but they are athletic enough to do different things on defense to just to keep it flexible.
"And we've added some depth to the outside linebacker room in recent weeks that we feel also can provide some of those coverage things that you're talking about."
Barkevious Mingo was the backup outside linebacker the Bears signed in free agency and rather than playing edge rusher alone, he has been involved extensively in pass coverage in the past.
While Quinn enjoys the thought of playing on a front with Mack and Hicks, he didn't necessarily decide to come to Chicago because of this. He called it almost a flip of the coin in his mind where he wanted to go in free agency. He didn't include Pagano or the defensive coaching staff as a factor in his decision, either.
"Here's the funny thing: I didn't know—no disrespect to coach Pagano—I didn't know he was the D-coordinator until I actually kind of made up my mind," Quinn said. "I went to looking and I'm like, 'Hey, he recruited me back in college.'
"It's kind of funny. The good powers above always lead you in the right direction."
Just so long as they lead him to the right side of the defensive line.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
