How Prince Amukamara Loss Affects Bears Defense
There is a shelf life to everything, an expiration date.
The gnashing of teeth over how the Chicago Bears could be wasting a dominant defense with Mitchell Trubisky quarterbacking a poor offense can now end
That's because it appears the window of opportunity for their defense has already passed.
When the Bears decided to cut cornerback Prince Amukamara for salary cap purposes Friday, it just ensured they would be down another defender from their 2018 defense.
The defense they put on the field in 2020 will be without 60% of the starting five-man secondary in their 2018 defense, including the nickel cornerback position. The only remaining starters are Kyle Fuller and Eddie Jackson. Gone are Amukamara, Bryce Callahan and Adrian Amos.
Not only are the players different, but they're another season in the secondary removed from the wizardry of defensive backs coach Ed Donatell. He left with defensive coordinator Vic Fangio for Denver after the 2018 season and took along decades of experience.
With the 2018 season nearing an end, Bears coach Matt Nagy was asked by reporters about Donatell's contribution.
"So, Ed Donatell does an amazing job on the back end there with communicating to those guys, and is very honest with those guys, and he puts an accountability to them so when they're out there practicing, he wants them practicing hard," Nagy said. "He's been doing this for a long time, now, been a defensive coordinator and those guys know that. So they just understand what he's looking for.
"If there's a technique that they're not doing the right way, he might say to them, 'Hey try this out, try that out,' and there's instant credibility with him. His communication is great with those guys so they're in a good spot, collectively that whole DB room."
This isn't a rip at current defensive backs coach Deshea Townsend, but that kind of coaching experience factor is simply tough to counter.
The key to the Bears secondary was communication between players, between players and coach. It was diminished last year already with changes, and Amukamara admitted as much fairly early last season when he said it had to get better.
They never worried about this in 2018 as they'd all been together the previous season, even if it was under a different head coach.
It's going to be even more difficult to duplicate this in 2020 with a different starting cornerback and with a third safety in three years, because Ha Ha Clinton-Dix is unlikely to be brought back unless he's taking bargain basement salary again.
If Danny Trevathan leaves in free agency, the precious front seven will lose a key member for the first time.
The defensive backs always insist it all starts up front, and it was true last year.
They went from 50 to 32 sacks with Akiem Hicks out injured and the pass rush diminished. The lack of heat on quarterbacks contributed to a passer rating-against decline from 72.9 to 85.2, a drop from No. 1 in the standings to No. 8. Both cornerbacks Kyle Fuller and Amukamara saw their passer ratings against balloon into the 100s as a result.
They went from 27 interceptions to 10.
Hicks turns 31 during this coming season.
Today is Khalil Mack's birthday. He is now 29.
Time moves on, faces change, the defense has lost the edge from 2018.
The window of opportunity closes and the Bears must find new ways to win.
Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven
