Bear Digest

Bears D-lineman Shemar Turner feels prepared whatever the plan

Whether the Bears want to line up Shemar Turner at defensive tackle or end and whatever approach they take, the Texas A&M standout says he's down for it.
Gene Chamberlain|
Defensive lineman Shemar Turner gets upfield as an end and goes after Spencer Rattler in 2023. Turner could be an end or tackle.
Defensive lineman Shemar Turner gets upfield as an end and goes after Spencer Rattler in 2023. Turner could be an end or tackle. | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

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Chicago Bears

One of the themes to this year's Bears draft has been Ben Johnson and the coaching staff working hand in hand with GM Ryan Poles and the personnel department.

They always said this before under coach Matt Eberflus, but the evidence of this seemed to be lacking. One example of how they did it this year was defensive backs coach Al Harris pointing out the talents in advance of relatively obscure fifth-round cornerback pick Zah Frazier, from Texas-San Antonio by way of JUCO ball and SIU.

It's possible second-round pick Shemar Turner fits this category, as well, because his college experience isn't the perfect system fit for the Dennis Allen defense.

The Bears had a defensive line approach for three years of attacking gaps, the single-gap approach up front. Turner, though, comes from a system at Texas A&M with a two-gap approach, where interior linemen hold up blockers while linebackers make tackles.

The new Bears defensive approach up front is neither, actually. It's more of a hybrid.

"We want to strike blocks," new defensive line coach Jeremy Garrett explained. "We want to attack up front. We want to knock guys back. That's our mentality style, that we want to be with. We want to disrupt the timing of the running back and quarterback.

"That's really our goal and what we want to put on tape."

The new defensive line style puts one-gap and two-gap styles together. They're attacking, but they're attacking blockers rather than occupying them to benefit linebackers. They're driving blocking back into the backfield, a sort of gap/blocker attacker.

Turner doesn't see it as an issue to be attacking now instead of playing read-and-react. This is where the cooperation between coaches and personnel needs to be high because they had to detect players who might not have been perfect system fits from college, but showed some traits to be able to do this.

Perhaps that overaggressivness Turner has shown with seven roughness penalties in two seasons will be put to use by attacking blockers and ball carriers instead of just occupying the the blockers.

"It's gonna be good," he said. "I feel like I pick up on it pretty quick. Especially being around guys like Gervon Dexter and Grady Jarrett, picking up, soaking up information from guys like a sponge. Feel like it'd be good."

It will be new for those veterans as well, but they've been around the league for a while now. Dexter actually has played both one-gap and two-gap so he'll be good either way.

The issue with Turner is where exactly  the Bears will line him up to attack. He could be an edge because he played there and had his career-best season playing there in 2023. Last year Texas A&M moved him inside to tackle and he had a good season for a tackle but without the stats he had at end.

As an end, he had six sacks and 11 tackles for loss. Moved inside, he had two sacks and six tackles for loss last season. But he had three more tackles (36) than he did at end and was disruptive.

The move occurred because they had a surplus of edges but not enough help at 3-technique tackle last year. They had ends Shemar Stewart and Nic Scourton get drafted, Stewart 17th overall to Cincinnati and Scourton 51st in Round 2 to Carolina. Then the Bears took Turner No. 62 in Round 2.

"Really just my ability to be able to do pretty much anything on the D-line,"  Turner said. "Wherever they needed me, I was more than willing to go there. If they needed me inside, I’m moving inside. If they needed me at zero (nose), I’m at zero. If they needed me at five (end), I’m at five. Nine technique (edge), if I’m dropping (linebacker), I’m dropping.

"So whatever they needed, I was there for them."

He came to the combine at 6-foot-3, 290 pounds but was bigger last year. To get ready for playing inside, he had a nice training regimen. It was one many middle-aged guys would envy.

"Shoot, I had to gain a little weight, started eating my Chipotle and stuff like that," Turner said. "Had to lift a lot more with (Tommy) Moffitt (strength coach), had to get some extra time with him. Just get bigger to support them, double teams and stuff on the inside."

Where will the Bears use a  They don't like talking about these things until they must, as is evidence by their refusal to be specific about tackle Ozzy Trapilo's side of the line.

To know, just watch the Vernon Hills Chipotle and if Turner's a frequent patron, think tackle. If not, then end.

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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.