Closer Look Reveals Bears Defensive Flaws

There's nothing wrong with looking at a team from the 30,000-foot view, as former Bears coach Matt Nagy used to like calling it.

It offers perspective. It's great for analysis.

However, there's nothing like looking at it from the ground level to fix issues.

Bears OTAs and minicamp provided a small fraction of that ground-level look with potential problems.

At this time of year, all anyone has is the unpadded look and the small bits and pieces teams let out about their plans.

Here are potential issues for the Bears defense when they all meet up again July 25 on reporting day for training camp, based on the ground-level view from OTAs and minicamp.

Slot Cornerback

It is no knock on Kyler Gordon's abilities to doubt using him in the slot is both his best position and the team's best answer for a slot cornerback. The Bears played him there last year and then moved him outside when they were in base defense instead of nickel. It would appear they're planning this again, even though Tyrique Stevenson showed great potential on the outside in OTAs and minicamp.

Pro Football Focus grading shows Gordon's best games came playing most of the time at left cornerback and not in the slot. While it's fine to be skeptical about PFF grading, it is one video-based objective look at player performances accomplished in many ways like coaches would do it. It's not a poor method of analysis.

Gordon, himself, seems less than convinced he likes slot better than playing outside. After being asked about the slot, he talked about playing outside instead and then finally got around to talking about what he likes about the slot.

"I'm not going to lie, I do miss (outside) corner," Gordon said. "I love corner. But yeah, it definitely is nice to focus on nickel and take in as much as I can there and perfect that spot."

Gordon then talked about his reasons for liking the slot.

"I like to blitz and stuff like that," Gordon said. "Them giving me the ability to go and do that, that's what I love a lot about being in the nickel is being in the nickel and being in the run fit.

"Hopefully I go back to corner and go back and forth like I did. I do really love nickel and being near the ball, I just get to be closer which is more opportunities for me to make plays and stuff like that. I love being there."

The Bears don't blitz much, and it comes from a safety or slot cornerback only a fraction of the times they do. So why even worry about this as a factor in a decision to play Gordon in the slot?

Defensive backs coach and defensive pass coordinator Jon Hoke even brought up the blitz first when asked about Gordon's strengths in the slot.

"He's a good blitzer because he's physical, understands the timing, understands how to beat a block," Hoke said. "In zone coverage, he understands how to route-match based on what he's got. He understands the concepts that he's being attacked with. Those things are all pluses with him."

Gordon made two interceptions in his last three games playing outside. It's safe to wonder if they might just be better off letting him focus there, based on this alone. Then this would leave a hole at slot cornerback. The only real backup they have for this spot is Josh Blackwell, who got on the field for only 133 defensive snaps last year.

One thought: Try Tyrique Stevenson there. The rookie showed a real knack for jumping routes in OTA work. Justin Fields was even commenting about it and said he knew Stevenson liked jumping quick out routes.

The Bears haven't had a slot cornerback who effectively jumped routes since Bryce Callahan, an undrafted free agent who was limited by shorter arms and speed.

If Gordon and Jaylon Johnson played outside and Stevenson the slot, why would they be any less effective than using Gordon in the slot and Stevenson outside?

Coach Matt Eberflus has talked about how he likes Stevenson's arm length and tackling abilities. Both could show up as great assets in the slot.

Edge Rusher

Their lack of a player with an established set of skills rushing from the outside is well known. It's been beaten into the ground. They went for the more stout, all-around type of edge player in DeMarcus Walker and Rasheem Green. Neither Dominique Robinson nor Trevis Gipson has shown the type of edge dominance rushing passers that makes them a constant threat to quarterbacks.

Their answer is the rush will come from the inside. They'll force teams into predictable passing situations and make their edges better by coming from the inside at the quarterback.

Still, at some point if they do get in those predictable passing situations and if they don't get the desired interior rush—opponents could load up with extra blockers inside, for example—they'll need someone who can come off the edge at quarterbacks.

To their credit, they at least recognize this and it's why Eberflus said: "You know I think that is one position we are looking at and potentially we could get that done."

However, until they actually get this done they haven't addressed it so it can only be assumed they're going with the guys they have.

The type of zone coverage the Bears use can be effective with a pass rush but if the interior rush men are held at bay and they lack an outside rush presence, the obvious places of weakness in the Tampa-2 zone are well established. Quarterbacks will hit them with slants, the skinny post, the outside cover-2 beater along the sidelines between the safety and cornerback, and they will do this all game long without pass rush pressure.

The Bears very well might have their run-stopping issues fixed with more stout edges and with tackles geared toward getting upfield. They'll have offenses forced into passing situations. And then who is actually getting the sack?

Defensive Tackle

Their moves at defensive tackle have been lauded universally but a major portion of this praise is based on two rookies taken in the second round (Gervon Dexter Jr.) and third round (Zacch Pickens).

As rookies, it's not safe to expect anything from them beyond filling in at times.

Eberflus was asked about Dexter during minicamp and the best thing he said was Dexter hustles.

"He's doing a lot of Pilates," Eberflus said. "He does a lot of those things. He's working on his lower flexibility. We think that's important for the big guys, for all the big guys to do.

"He's really learning how to take off. At Florida he was more of a two-gap guy, so he was more square, moving with the offensive linemen, not moving off the ball in a takeoff position. He's working on that. We elongated his stance a little bit to help him do that and we moved him around a little bit."

All of those are basic things and someone who just started working at this doesn't seem like a player who is going to be capable of stepping in and producing immediately. This sounds more like a project.

Another reason for the alarm to sound?

"He's playing the nose, he's playing the three (technique)," Eberflus said.

The Bears went into the offseason with three technique as one of three biggest defensive needs, and maybe their biggest. They didn't sign Javon Hargrave or any of the other free agents. They didn't draft Jalen Carter when they had the chance. Instead, they drafted Dexter in the second round and right away he's being used at nose tackle. He did play some three technique in the offseason but a lot of nose, as well.

This sounds like a player being used as the rotational fill-in for three technique Justin Jones and nose Andrew Billings rather than a starter right away at three technique.

So they'll be relying on Jones starting at this position after he was ranked 111th out of 127 defensive tackles by PFF.

Pickens has to be considered a step down from Dexter as a three technique since he was drafted a round later.

This definitely begs the question: How are they really any better at this position?

And remember, it's the interior that's expected to provide a pass rush because of their lack of a proven edge rusher.

This defensive line plan of the Bears looks like a house of cards unless one of these rookies very rapidly becomes the strong foundational piece they've lacked at three technique.

Twitter: BearDigest@BearsOnMaven

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