Roquan Smith's Debut at New Spot
Bears defensive end Al-Quadin Muhammad really got the chance to practice in the same Bears defense with linebacker Roquan Smith for the first time this week.
It left an impression, even as Smith left impressions in Bears backs.
"He hits extremely hard," Muhammad said. "No, he definitely had some big this out there. But more importantly, he's a smart football player. You hear him back out there talking, leading, setting an example. It's awesome."
Smith will get the chance to leave impressions in Cleveland Browns ball carriers Saturday in a 6 p.m. preseason finale as the starters play for a full half. It wouldn't be a surprise if Smith gets pulled before the half since he is just getting into the swing of things this week after he ended his hold-in Saturday.
The first-team defense has had one poor drive against Patrick Mahomes and Kansas City to start that first preseason game and then played solid in a short stint last week.
Coach Matt Eberflus is convinced Smith can make a difference.
"Like I said the other day, whenever you increase your talent level on that side of the ball—really any side of the ball—you're gonna see a little different," Eberflus said. "It's gonna be a little bit different. You certainly felt that. We all felt that."
Smith filled the hole well on a couple plays Thursday at practice. He had made his presence felt on the very first play of his Tuesday practice by stopping a David Montgomery run.
"He's certainly an impactful player," Eberflus said. "We've said that all along, he's a really good player."
With their leader back playing weakside linebacker in a game for the first time Saturday, they're looking to make a statement about how quickly they adapt to a new scheme, and also start taking away the ball.
"The way we continue to work and the chemistry we're building, especially on defense with one another, as you see, we've got Roquan back as well," safety Eddie Jackson said. "All the pieces are starting to fall into the puzzle, so we'll just continue to get better and better. But I'm excited."
There are more Bears defensive players to watch in the third and final preseason game than Smith, although he definitely is a good place to start.
It will finally be easier to get eyes on some of the starters as playing about half could mean around 30-35 plays.
1. CB Kyler Gordon
Gordon's first game was spotty, and included a missed tackle on the biggest Seahawks run. He did get a nice pressure on Geno Smith when he came off the edge out of the slot cornerback spot. The Bears would like to see more consistency in his coverage but Eberflus said one thing they want to do is give him freedom to experiment and make plays, especially in preseason.
"I think we've said it before where he likes to try things and he likes to adjust his techniques and he is a very confident guy, because he's a good player," Eberflus said. "He's done a lot of things and a lot of success over his career, so he know that, hey, we're gonna have adversity and it's how you respond to adversity that matters, right? It's the NFL. Everyone's going to get beat. It's how you respond to the next play that matters."
2. DL Trevis Gipson
Without Mario Edwards Jr. available, possibly due to a minor injury although the Bears haven't said, Gipson slid inside in the pass rush next to three technique Justin Jones and the outside rush was manned by Robert Quinn and Al-Quadin Muhammad. It was a different look but it was away to get their four best pass rushers on the field. Watching Gipson playing interior at about 265 pounds as a pass rusher will be interesting but he has played with his hand in the dirt all offseason and in the past at Tulsa. Doing it inside just means beating a guard rather than a tackle, and in the NFL they're all big. If they see him coping well with this kind of rush, it's possible they might bid farewell to Edwards as there is competition on the line and he seems to not be involved in it with this injury.
3. CB Duke Shelley
It's a case where he could be playing for his job. Shelley has been moved around with different units, mostly the second and third teams. But late in the week they had him largely with the second team and cornerback Lamar Jackson had been moved down to the third team. Shelley, now in his fourth year, and a few other DBs could have their jobs on the line in the second half when the backups are on the field.
4. S Dane Cruikshank
The former Tennessee Titans safety missed all the offseason work and only sporadically has been available for practices due to an injury. This week he got in the most work he has had and it will be interesting to see if they finally let him play with the second-team defense.
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