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Bears Have Means to Meet Huge Talent Deficit

Analysis: This season has made the talent deficiency the Bears have very apparent but what's also true is they have every possible way available to address this.
Gene Chamberlain|
Bears Have Means to Meet Huge Talent Deficit
Bears Have Means to Meet Huge Talent Deficit

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Chicago Bears

No one mentioned the draft or free agency specifically at Halas Hall this week.

It's far too early for anyone except the personnel department to turn their attention to this with three games still remaining.

What were mentioned, though, were all the positions the Bears need to improve in their defense and passing game if they are to avoid another three-win season like they now seem to be headed toward.

The three-technique defensive tackle is vital in this 4-3 scheme, just as the weakside linebacker is. Every defensive scheme requires edge rushers, especially one used by a team with no sacks by its edge rushers since Week 6. They've had one sack by an edge rusher since Week 2. Just a reminder, it's now Week 16 of the 18-week NFL season.

Even if edge rusher is less important in a scheme than the three-technique tackle, no NFL team can get by with edge rushers making one sack in 12 games.

Considering the Bears are drafting second and consensus top defensive end Will Anderson of Alabama figures to be there when they pick, it seems a logical connection. 

Then again, there's still that three-technique thing and they lack someone who is dominant at this position, as well.

All's Well that End's Well

Coach Matt Eberflus shed some light on what exactly it is they're running up against at end to make it difficult for those players to generate a rush.

"A lot of one-on-ones on the edge, not as much chipping, not a lot of banging on the edge with the tight ends and the backs as much," Eberflus said. "So we're getting our looks that we need and we've got to take advantage of those."

In essence, there's nothing beyond normal coming at the Bears defensive ends to render them so ineffective. Al-Quadin Muhammad has the one sack since Week 2. Dominqiue Robinson had 1 1/2 in the opener and doesn't that seem like a century ago? Trevis Gipson has been playing in his spot since this was a 3-4 and had Khalil Mack and Robert Quinn on the line and he hasn't had a sack since getting two against Green Bay in a Week 2 loss.

When Quinn or Mack played in Chicago, the blockers schemed to double-team or in Mack's case even triple team the edge at times. This group, Eberflus said, is getting played "straight up."

"It's pretty much normal protection that I've seen for all the years," Eberflus said.

This sounds like a coach pretty desperate for edge rushers.

The Key Position

There are a few three techniques in the draft being mentioned as elite but only one being mentioned as Godzilla. That's Jalen Carter from Georgia. Do they need a player at that position who is talked about like an Aaron Donald or would a very good one suffice?

Sometimes the key player at a position isn't the one everyone else sees as a monster but one your own personnel people view as having the most desireable traits for a particular scheme. Bryan Bresee of Clemson is regarded as a very impressive three.

Eberflus' description of why they even need one might hold a clue to what they are thinking.

"We had DeForest (Buckner) at that last place," Eberflus said of the Colts. "Obviously some of the most famous guys are Aaron Donald, Warren Sapp, those guys are elite players at that position."

The Bears under Lovie Smith had a dominant Tommie Harris for about 2 1/2 seasons before a torn hamstring left him only so-so at the position but the position is critical.

"We call it the engine that makes everything go because in the running game you can't run at the three and you can't run away from him," Eberflus said. "So it's hard to really dictate where you're going to run the ball, No. 1, and it creates a lot of free lanes for your linebackers to run through in the run game.

"But in the pass game, a lot of times when you have two of them, you have a three-technique and you have a defensive end opposite of him, it's hard to move your line that way. He creates a lot of one-on-ones, and he's typically overmatched on a guard. Typically your best offensive linemen are on the outside and if you have your best player on the inside, that's certainly an advantage for you."

So they do need that excellent edge rusher after all, even if they do need a better three technique.

Weakside Upgrade

However, the three technique can affect the weakside linebacker and that's another critical position in this scheme. They have Nicholas Morrow manning it now and no one can call him lacking athletically. He definitely has the speed. 

So far Morrow has even tackles for loss in six games since Roquan Smith left to become an AFC Pro Bowl player with Baltimore. Smith made only four in his eight weeks playing the same position Morrow is now manning.

"Yeah, if you do it like we do it," Eberflus said. "The old school Tampa Bay, Chicago Bears, they would put Lance Briggs, Derrick Brooks behind the three technique. They would always travel together.

"That means you're covered to the hit. It would create a lot of things with that. Last place I was at with DeForest and Shaq (Leonard), he was always covered to the hit. Those two positions are really important to us."

Doing something at all of these positions in the draft and free agency or even a trade would seem critical.

Buckner and three-technique tackle might not be as critical to whoever coaches the Colts next year. It's always possible he'd even be available for trade, if the Bears wanted to add a more expensive player who will be 29 in his eighth season in 2023. He's not a free agent.

However, teams usually like to like to go the young route and bring in key players at their earliest age to train them in the system whether it's weakside linebacker or three technique.

Justin Fields Can Use a Real Weapon 

The other position of great need is one to help Justin Fields. They have some decent receivers in Darnell Mooney and possibly Chase Claypool but not the player who throws the fear of God into defensive coordinators like Davante Adams, Justin Jefferson or A.J. Brown.

Just because the Bears traded away a second-round pick for Chase Claypool doesn't mean they've decided he's the beat-all, end-all to team with Darnell Mooney next year in the passing game. With his contract expiring after 2023, the Bears would like to know as much as possible about Claypool's abilities and limitations.

They're unlikely to find out something this week because he's doubtful.

There's no doubt a gifted, impact wide receiver could be a godsend for Justin Fields in the passing game. They only need to look at this week's opponent, the Buffalo Bills and Josh Allen, to see this. Stefon Diggs has made a world of difference in Allen's abilities as a passer.

"When you have a guy that can take a short pass and go the distance or beat you deep, those are hard to defend," Eberflus said "You couple with the other guys they have at receiver, it's hard to be able to move your coverage sometimes that way all the time. Certainly creates a big opportunity or a big conflict for your defense."

The Bears should already know this after last week when Jaylon Johnson was chasing Brown all over the field and the Eagles receiver still caught nine of Jalen Hurts' passes. The big-play receiver can help transform and offense, a guy with the size and speed of TCU's Quentin Johnson perhaps.

After coaching a roster entirely short on talent at key positions because of their decision to dump cap space, the Bears need to be looking at all of those positions next year and more than one at each spot.

Bears Can Have It All in 2023

Which one is most important, though?

With the second pick, it becomes a matter of choice for the Bears, and for once it's not a matter of accepting what's the best available option.

With by far the most salary cap space available in March for free agency, it becomes a matter for the Bears of choice, not accepting the best available.

The Bears are in position to think about it and then grab everything they want and need.

Extreme accuracy in their analysis and decision making is critical because teams don't find themselves in this position often.

The Bears are in a position where they can solve their problems almost in one offseason, and one where if they don't make strides then someone's ability to judge talent is going to be severely scrutinized.

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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.

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